


Lacuna

by vonvoyage



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha Eren Yeager, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Biting, Blood, Bottom Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Knotting, M/M, Mating, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Memory Loss, Omega Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Possessive Behavior, Possessive Eren Yeager, Werewolf Eren Yeager, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2020-01-07 01:12:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 43,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18400103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vonvoyage/pseuds/vonvoyage
Summary: : a gap or blank space : a missing partOn a drive home, Eren encounter Levi injured on the road, and upon Levi insisting not to be taken to a hospital, he brings him home to treat his wound instead. However, when waking up the next day it is clear that Levi doesn't remember anything about the previous day. In fact, he doesn’t seem to remember anything from the past eight months.Then there’s also the small fact that Levi is supposed to be human, yet something is clearly wrong.





	1. Suspicion

**Author's Note:**

> I've published this story here once before, several years ago now. But as it were I lost all motivation to write and then also ended up deleting it so here we go a second try I guess. Didn't wanna post it again until I knew that I would actually end up finishing it, which I feel like I now can say that I will with relative confidence. Have it all roughly outlined and such at least, and I've been writing regularly for several months now. Anyway, don't even know if anyone who read it back then will end up finding it again, but hope u guys enjoy

It was raining and on the ground Levi could see his blood being washed away by the downpour. His head was heavy and his body tired, a tell-tale sign of his blood loss. Pressing his hand against the deep gash on his stomach did nothing to stop the flow of red from steadily pulsing out of him. Falling to his knees, he turned his face up towards the sky, the desperate need to see it flowing through him, only to find that the heavy rainfall obscured his vision. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on him and it made him want to laugh, but instead the sound turned into a cough in his throat and left a metallic taste in his mouth. He was most likely going to die here, he thought, in the middle of the road in some place he didn’t know. A shitty ending to a shitty life. Perhaps it was even fitting.

A car approaching was registered at the edge of his mind, but the sound was distant to his ears. Some small part of him surged up with the warning that he needed to run, but his body felt like lead and there was nothing he could do. He thought he could hear someone calling out then, but the dizziness wrapping around his head tightly made him unable to make out any of the words. Sudden hands grabbed at his face and he found himself staring into eyes with an ocean of green.

“Hey, you alright? You with me?” The voice was beautiful too, even though it sounded far away. Or maybe he was just delirious at this point.

“I’m going to call for an ambulance, just stay with me, you hear?” the person continued talking, but before they could move away, Levi weakly took hold of their jacket sleeve as he forced his words out.

“No hospital.”

“You’re badly injured, I need to get you to a doctor,” the person argued with him.

“No hospital,” he repeated, and as he was met by silence he said it again, making the words as firm as he could possibly manage in his injured state. “ _No hospital_.”

For a few seconds, there was only the sound of water hitting the asphalt, then the person muttered a curse before carefully wrapping their arms around Levi’s body and lifted him off the ground. He was put down in what he thought must be the stranger’s car, and then they were suddenly driving fast down the road, with the rain shattering against the windshield. All the while, the stranger kept talking to him.

“Don’t fall asleep, just stay focused on my voice. Only a few minutes longer and we’ll be there.”

Words of reassurance kept coming, but however much he tried to cling onto them Levi could feel himself fighting a losing battle. As his eyelids became heavier he was helpless to stop the darkness from claiming him.

**o0o**

When Levi slowly returned to consciousness, the first sense that assaulted him was that of a foreign scent. It left him tense and apprehensive, and as he forced his eyes to blink open he looked around to take in the unfamiliar room he was in. The walls were painted in a dark blue, opposite to the bed stood a drawer with a mirror above it, and to the left of that was a door that was slightly ajar, leaving a glimpse of a hallway with white walls. Other than that there stood an armchair in the corner to the right of the drawer, and on the wall to the right was a big window, although it had beige coloured curtains drawn shut and so it didn’t give him any indication as to where he was. However, the bright light from outside shone through and so at least he knew it was daytime.

Upon trying to sit up, pain struck him and with a grunt, he promptly lay back down. With a frown, he lifted the covers of the bedding to reveal his torso clad in bandages.  _What the fuck?_

“Oh, I thought I heard you. Thank god you’re awake.” The relieved voice came from the doorway and his head instantly snapped up to look at the man who had entered the room. He was tan, tall and muscular, his biceps plain in sight with the white t-shirt he was wearing, paired with a pair of black slacks. He was barefoot, and as Levi’s gaze returned up to take in the damp brown hair hanging down to his shoulders, he concluded that the younger man had just come from the shower. He locked eyes with the stranger’s green ones and narrowed them as he began walking towards the bed.

“Who the fuck are you?”

The harsh words caused the stranger to stop and blink at him before giving an apologetic smile.

“Right, sorry. Yesterday is probably fuzzy for you. I’m the one who helped you. Since you seemed so adamant about not going to the hospital I took you to my house, I hope that’s alright.”

“Yesterday?” Levi furrowed his brow as he attempted to remember the previous day, but beside vague memories of rain he was coming up empty. 

“You don’t remember?” The man seemed concerned. “Do you not recall anything from last night?”

Levi tried to think, tried to really focus, but his mind was a blank slate.

“No…”, he answered eventually.

“Do you know your name?” the person asked as he took the remaining step forward that put him right at the end of the bed, leaning forward just a little.

In response, Levi shifted higher up and away from him with a look of suspicion. However, when the man observed his reaction he made a point of backing off.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to make you nervous. I just want to help,” he said, throwing his hands up in a show of innocence.

And Levi listened to the way his heart was beating steadily and actually believed him. And then, it was as if his mind finally caught up with him and the fact that he could actually hear this person's heartbeats. He could smell him too, information in the scent that told him all about this person. He was a werewolf, was the first thing that registered. An alpha, strong and healthy. Very strong, in fact, which made him involuntarily tense up.

“What's wrong?” There was a slight alarm in the voice, eyes attentive as the werewolf seemed to scan him over.

“Nothing, I'm fine,” he answered as he pushed the sudden confusion out of his head, ignoring the way how now when he thought about it, everything about himself felt off-kilter. 

It was obvious the stranger didn't believe him, but before he had the opportunity to push, Levi spoke up again.

“And I do remember my name, it's Levi.”

For a second it looked like he wouldn't let the subject go, but then he relented.

“Okay, that's a good start then. I'm Eren, by the way.” He gave a small smile in reassurance, and Levi kind of wished that he would stop. “Now, would you mind if I checked your bandages?”

“I can check them myself,” he responded.

“I really think –”

“I can do it myself.” His words were firm and left no room for objection.

“Okay then, but I’m not leaving the room.” The stranger’s words held the same firmness, and after meeting his eyes in a silent fight, Levi finally yielded. Removing the covers completely this time, he looked down at himself, and could now see the grey trousers he wore on his lower half. They reached just below his knees and were quite badly torn, but at least the stranger hadn’t removed them and left him naked. He ran his hands lightly over where the bandage covered his lower stomach, inspecting it carefully, while at the same time making sure to keep a watchful eye of the man who had now moved over to stand by the side of the bed.

After finding the clasp, it took some manoeuvring before he had managed to fully unwrap it. While he worked, he could see from the corner of his eyes how the man seemed to be having some internal struggle with himself of wanting to help yet having agreed to keep his hands to himself. But in the end, the man managed to keep his hands from reaching towards him and Levi returned his focus to the task at hand.

As he examined the wound the best as he could, he didn’t think it looked all too bad. At his side, however, the man was frowning.

“You must have very fast healing abilities,” he remarked. “What are you?”

“Huh?” Levi stared at him in question.

“I’ve been trying to figure it out but I just can’t seem to make sense of it.”

“I’m human,” Levi said, pointedly ignoring how his thoughts from before came rushing back about the fact that something was clearly wrong with him.

“You don’t smell human, you smell… strange,” the stranger spoke slowly, considering his words.

“What the fuck do you mean by that?” His voice was venom fuelled by his inner turmoil.

“I don’t know. I’ve just never met anyone with your type of scent before. And you are clearly not human considering how fast your healing process is.” He appeared unaffected by Levi’s unfriendly nature as he responded with contemplation.

“Or maybe you’re just a stupid brat who misjudged the severity of my injury.”

The comment seemed to take the stranger momentarily aback before Levi could see what might be a blush colouring his ears.

“I’m not a brat, I’m twenty-three,” he said defensively.

“Well, I’m turning twenty-five soon so I’m counting you as a brat.” Just after he said that he stopped himself and felt ice run through his veins.

“Wait, what date is it?”

“July 2nd,” the werewolf answered, his features turning troubled again, and Levi felt his insides freeze, because the last he could remember was it being November, and that meant that his memory gaped empty for almost eight entire months. Cursing out loud, he tried his best to remain calm.

“I don’t have any memories from after November last year. I suppose that means I already turned twenty-five then,” he said, stunned disbelief in his voice.

“Maybe I should call the police,” the stranger said, clearly worried.

“No, definitely not.” The response came automatically.

“So no hospital and no police? Are you a criminal of some kind?”

Levi could feel himself grimace slightly.

“Not a criminal, but perhaps not a stand-up citizen either exactly.” He hesitated for a moment before continuing, “I live in the slums,” he explained.

“In Sina?” Eren asked.

“That’s right.” His voice was harsh and defensive as he responded, but Eren thankfully didn’t comment on his less than stellar background.

“We’re currently in the outskirts of Shiganshina. You’re quite far from home.” The man’s voice was quiet, and Levi guessed he probably didn’t at all know what to do with his current situation. Something Levi could empathise with.

“Okay. I’m going to get some new bandage for you, and then we need to figure this out.” The man looked to have found some sudden determination, and Levi followed him with his eyes as he left the room. As he disappeared out of sight, Levi turned his gaze towards the ceiling instead.  _What the fuck was going on?_

**o0o**

The stranger returned only a moment later, carrying new and clean bandages in his hand.

“Do you just have that shit lying around the house?” Levi asked, and the man shrugged in reply.

“I suppose I’m no stranger to injury,” he simply answered. Levi chose not to push any further as to exactly what he meant by that.

Now to be fair, when living in the slums keeping bandages or various health kits around wasn’t exactly unusual, but Shiganshina was known as a generally calm town and he had a hard time imagining fights breaking out here every other day. Perhaps it was different for werewolves though. He had witnessed them getting downright brutal with each other before after all.

“Are you going to allow me to help you this time or are you going to be stubborn again?” Eren asked and Levi sent him a look of annoyance.

“Is that a yes or no?”

“Tch, whatever.”

“I’m interpreting that as you’re allowing me to help,” he said, an amused smile playing on his lips and Levi didn’t object.

As the strangers large and warm hands touched his skin, Levi turned rigid. Did he even know for sure that what this man was saying was the truth? He seemed honest enough, but Levi was also anything but naïve, and trusting someone blindly never ended well in his experience. It was more than a little suspicious that he woke up in a stranger’s house with over half a year of his life missing from his memories. Perhaps this man had kidnapped him. Perhaps he was the cause of his wound. Not that that scenario added up either. No, if nothing appeared to be off, he would try staying here long enough to recover and perhaps even track his own steps back and fill in the lost months. First, though, what he needed was to access a phone, call Furlan or Isabel. If nothing else, they should be able to shed some light on the situation.

The stranger was careful as he wrapped the bandage around Levi's lower torso, and even though he was still observing every movement, Levi allowed his body to relax slightly. The werewolf must have noticed because he chose that moment to look up and smile at him, to which Levi only stared back with an unmoving expression. In his chest, however, he could feel a small contraction that he immediately ignored and decided really hadn't happened at all in the first place.

“Would you stop with the smiling? It's unsettling,” he said with a voice of ice.

The stranger cocked his head to the side.

“It's supposed to be friendly.”

“Well, it's not. It's creepy.”

The stranger only laughed as he continued finishing wrapping the bandage.

“And we're all done,” he announced. “You've been an excellent patient.”

Levi gave him a look of raised eyebrows and eyes that said that he found the comment extremely dumb, causing the stranger to blush again, this time more noticeable as it spread to his cheeks as well.

“Sorry, habit,” he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in a display of embarrassment. “My dad just always used to say that. He was a doctor.”

Levi decided not to ask about the use of past tense.

“So, eh, you want me to get you something to drink? Water, coffee...?”

“Tea,” he answered. “I would also like a phone.” He held the stranger eyes with a firm gaze as he said that, making it clear that it wasn't a request.

“Oh, of course, I'll bring you a phone while the water is boiling.”

He felt satisfied with that answer, and as the man left the room Levi propped the pillows up behind him so that he could comfortably sit up in the bed. Or perhaps not comfortably, as the pain radiated from the wound from the change in position and caused him to grit his teeth, but it was tolerable.

When he sat up, he found himself staring straight into his reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall, and he realised how bad he looked. His dark hair had grown out, undercut nowhere to be seen, he had a small stubble on his jaw, and he looked noticeably thin, with circles dark underneath his eyes that told a story of little sleep.

As the man came back into the room carrying a portable landline phone, Levi interrupted him before he had the time to speak.

“I’m going to need to ask for a shaver too.” And as he spoke he reached out his hand, a clear indication that he wanted the phone handed to him, which the stranger wordlessly went and gave him.

“You can borrow mine later, but I don’t think you should be leaving the bed for now.”

Levi didn’t give a reply, simply staring at him, waiting for him to leave again. As he didn’t seem to get the memo, Levi gave a sigh.

“You can go now. I want to make my phone call.” 

“Oh, right. I’ll come back with the tea in a few minutes.” The stranger looked somewhat flustered again as he backed out and closed the door softly, and Levi remarked how this was quite uncharacteristic for an alpha male. From what he knew, people, or perhaps he should call them creatures, born with the alpha dynamic were supposed to be confident, dominate, natural leaders and all that shit. As a human living in the slums, he had early learned to stay away from them. In fact, he stayed away from all werewolf and wear-creature dynamics, together with the rest of any non-human people. Vampires, harpies, mermaids, fairies, succubus/incubus – he stayed clear of all of it. It wasn’t that he disliked them, they were all just widely different from humans and even those he could hardly deal with. He wasn’t alone in this, though, as society as a whole was divided. The different groups may interact well enough in public situations and in workplaces, but most times they would seek out the company of their own kind.

After typing in Furlan’s number into the phone, he put it to his ear, but instead of hearing the familiar tones while waiting for the call to be answered, he was directly met by the monotone voice of a female.

“We're sorry, but the number you have dialled is not in service at this moment, we apologise for any inconvenience. Repeating, this number is not currently available.” Then the line went dead, and Levi just stared at it with brows tightly drawn together.

Typing in Isabel’s number instead, he waited and for split a second was hopeful, until it cut to the same generic answer, causing him to throw the phone in a fit of frustration across the room. It crashed into the wall right next to the mirror before falling to the ground, no longer in one piece.

“The fuck am I supposed to do now,” he muttered, while in the meantime trying to not be too paranoid as to the reason why their phones would no longer be working. It had gone eight months after all. However, no matter the number of rational thoughts he tried to persuade himself to believe, he couldn’t shake the idea of them being dead in a ditch somewhere. Which really wasn’t farfetched all things considered, and the thought of it made dread crawl down his spine.

Suddenly the door was yanked open, and the man rushed in looking alarmed. His eyes first landed on Levi, before scanning the room and finally stopping on the broken phone lying on the wooden floor. His gaze lifted in question back to Levi, and he actually felt somewhat apologetic, realising he had just destroyed his presumed rescuer’s phone.

“I’ll pay you back for that,” he said, and meant it. Unless of course, this Eren person turned out to be someone other than who he claimed.

“Right… Uhm, I’ll bring you your tea now then,” the man replied as he leaned down and scooped up the smashed phone before quickly retreating from the room again.

Returning only a minute later carrying a cup of tea, he gave it to Levi, who accepted it even though having lost any desire to drink it. He took a sip anyway. Would probably be rude not to.

“Why do you hold your cup like that?”

Levi looked down at his grip on the rim of the cup, and distant suppressed childhood memories flooded him for a second until he blocked it out again.

“No reason,” he answered, and the stranger didn’t press the subject.

“So, I’m guessing whoever you called didn’t answer?” he asked after a moment of silence.

“No, they didn’t”

“You think they’re okay?”

“How would I know?” The answer came out in a harsh tone and Levi knew that his anger was most likely misplaced, but it didn’t matter. He just felt completely ticked off.

“Sorry.”

Levi only gave a heavy sigh.

The quiet that followed lasted until Levi had finished the last drop of tea and sat down the now empty cup on the bedside table.

“I was thinking I should probably go back and get your car. I was going to do it earlier but I didn’t want to leave you here alone, especially before I knew you were okay,” the stranger said.

“My car?”

“Well, I’m just presuming it’s your car since when I found you, you were sitting not far from it and the door on the driver’s side was open.”

“Right.” Shit, he really wished he could just remember.

“Maybe there will be some answers to your lost memories in it.”

“Yeah.” Levi didn’t dare to be hopeful. “Is it far from here?” he asked.

“Just a few miles. It won’t take very long. Perhaps you should just try sleeping some more while I’m gone.” Levi didn’t know if the comment was harmless or perhaps a small jibe at his undereye circles, either way, he didn’t offer a reply.

**o0o**

Levi waited until he heard the front door pull shut, then he lay in wait for an additional couple of minutes before he slowly got up from the bed. Standing up didn’t exactly hurt, but when he started taking a couple of steps he could feel the wound aching. Nothing unbearable though and so he suffered through it. Stepping out into the white hallway, the first thing he encountered was a door on the opposite side of his own, along with a door directly to his right. Opening the right door he was presented with a small laundry room, which wasn't all that interesting, so instead he moved on to the other, and upon opening it he found himself in a rather large bathroom. There was a tub large enough to probably hold five people, a shower, and then, of course, a toilet and a basin. Above the sink there was a cabinet, and when he opened it there were only the normal things one could expect to find, toothbrush, toothpaste, some pills (including painkillers and something else for soothing ruts which Levi only had a limited knowledge about but really didn’t desire to know more about and so he left it alone), shaving cream and a shaver. The last things which he intended to use within the near future, along with the shower so that he could wash off all the filth he could feel covering every inch of his body.

He relieved himself before exiting the bathroom and proceeded down the hall. There was another door leading into a room adjacent to the one he occupied, and when entering, the scent that had curled around him since waking up got even thicker. It made it impossible to ignore it, the way he had stubbornly done up until now. The potency of it made his skin crawl, and the worst thing was that is wasn’t only because of uneasiness. He slammed the door shut the second he got his mind back under control. If the scent hadn’t tipped him off, the big bed in the middle of the room had, and it was very clear that this was the stranger’s bedroom. One part of him wanted to go in to investigate, while another part wanted to go in because for some reason it was drawn to that scent, and it was the latter that made him decide to just leave it the fuck alone and carry on.

Where the corridor came to an end it opened up into a living room with a bookshelf (that hardly contained any books), a big couch and a flat-screen television. To the left stood the front door, some hangers and a shoe rack beside it, and Levi went and opened it, stepping outside. The sun stood high in the almost completely cloud-free sky, and the air was clear and fresh, contamination-free as it was spared of the pollution from the city. As far as he could see there were no houses nearby, something he thought was slightly puzzling considering werewolves most often lived in groups.

He stepped back inside and made his way past the living room, which tied together with the dining room and the kitchen. Starring out through one of the windows above the kitchen countertop, all he saw was forest. He wondered how far away they were from Shiganshina’s inner city.

Going through all the cabinets and drawers first, he then opened the fridge and scowled when he noticed that it was almost completely empty. If he wanted to eat anything it was obvious that he was going to have to ask the stranger to go out and buy some food. Before leaving the kitchen he went back to the drawer holding the silverware and grabbed a hold of a small knife, sliding it into a pocket of his pants. In case he needed to defend himself he would be ready.

When he went back into the living room, a picture frame caught his eye from the bookshelf. Upon approaching it, he saw that it was his supposed rescuer, standing smiling between a girl and a boy. It was clearly taken some years back, seeing as he would probably place the people’s ages in the picture in their late teens. The girl had short black hair and just the hint of a smile playing on her lips, while the boy had blond hair reaching down to his chin and seemed to be holding back laughter. The whole photo seemed to radiate happiness and a sense of complete contentment that he himself had probably never experienced in his entire life.

The sudden opening of the front door sent his heart rate skyrocketing, and as he swiftly turned around fresh pain struck him, causing him to groan and double over.

“Shit, you okay?” At hearing the concerned voice of the stranger he promptly raised his hand in an indication to keep his distance.

“I’m fine,” he uttered through clenched teeth as he straightened back up.

“You should be in bed,” the stranger said.

“I couldn’t relax.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. “Did you get the car? I didn’t hear one coming up the driveway,” he continued, wanting to divert the attention from himself and the fact that he had very clearly been snooping around.

“No, actually, it was gone.”

“Gone?” Levi echoed, an ominous feeling gathering in his stomach. “You think it could have been the police or a tow truck or something?”

“Might have been, can’t say. All I caught were some different human scents,” he answered, sounding regretful.

“Right. Well, that just isn’t helpful at all,” he said frustratingly.

“Sorry.”

“Not your fault.” Probably. _Unless there never was a car in the first place and you’re lying_. But those thoughts went unsaid.

“Did you run all the way there by the way? I expected you to be away longer,” he said instead.

“I’m faster in my wolf form,” the werewolf explained.

“Yeah, about that, I couldn’t help but notice that you're living here all alone. Don’t you people usually live in packs?” Levi asked.

“Oh. Well, we do. I don’t stay here all the time, but it’s my family home and it also makes it easier for everyone that I can be away during my… eh… ruts… since I’m unmated.” Levi wasn’t sure who of them was made more uncomfortable at that moment. “Anyway, I stay with them most of the time so…”

“Lovely,” he said with a deadpanned look. Then to break the awkward tension in the air, he added, “I think I’m going to go and rest now.”

“O – Okay.”

“See you later, alpha-boy,” he said as he began walking back towards the hallway. He was doing it partly just to get away from the werewolf and partly because he really was feeling exhausted.

“Don’t disturb me,” he turned around and added before disappearing out of sight from the stranger, who still stood just inside of the doorway.

Once inside his room, Levi pushed the drawer in front of the door, which wouldn’t stop the stranger from coming inside if he wanted too, but it would surely wake him up. Before lying down Levi then removed the knife from his pocket and instead put it under his pillow for easier access. With the knife tucked underneath him, he finally decided it was safe enough to get some sleep.

 

 

 


	2. Haunted

There was no light being filtered into the room through the curtains by the time Levi woke up. His head felt groggy and he idly wondered what time it was. Raising himself off the bed he realised that the wound no longer hurt, although upon pressing his fingers against the bandage it still felt slightly tender. Letting his feet touch the floor, he walked over to the dresser and pushed it back into its original spot, leaving the doorway clear. Just as he put his hand on the door handle, however, he remembered the knife and went and retrieved it from the bed, returning it to his pocket before opening the door and stepping out. For a couple of seconds, he simply stood and stared at the door leading into the stranger's bedroom, wondering if he had woken him up and if he was going to step out. When nothing happened and he couldn't hear anything, he tentatively continued out into the living room.

Since there was no clock to be found Levi didn’t know if it was in the middle of the night or perhaps very early morning, but either way he wasn't going to go back to sleep now that he felt rested. Instead, he went back to the fridge he had inspected the previous day, remembering that even if it had been mostly empty there had been a carton of milk, and that was better than nothing when he practically felt like he was starving. After filling a glass, he drank it while moving over to the bookshelf, grabbing the deck of cards that was lying on one of the shelves. He then turned on the lamp hanging over the kitchen table and sat down, putting the now half-empty glass of milk next to him and starting to shuffle the cards, before putting down a game of solitaire for himself.

When he was just about to put down the cards for a 10th game, he could start to see the first rays of sun colouring the sky from outside the window, and just thereafter he heard movement from the werewolf’s room, which was followed by a door opening and approaching footsteps. Levi firmly told himself that he did not in any way find it adorable, the way that the obviously still very tired alpha - wearing the same clothes as yesterday - entered the room while rubbing at his eyes and yawning, looking towards him while frowning in momentary confusion.

“You want to play?” he asked, making sure to keep his voice monotone as to not give away anything that he might be thinking.

“Eh –” The stranger looked down at where his hands still held the deck and then up towards his face again, another yawn escaping him. “Yeah, okay.” He went to sit down opposite to him and Levi had a hard time not staring at his tousled hair or thinking about the raspy quality of his morning voice.

“What are we playing?” he asked.

“Go fish,” Levi answered, as it was one of the first games that came to mind and also one of the simplest ones, as he did after all not know how much cards the werewolf had played in his life.

“Okay. You start then,” he replied with a shrug.

Three rounds later - Levi having won all of them - the werewolf leaned back in his seat with a huff.

“Damn, you have a lot of luck at this.”

Levi snorted.

“Luck? It’s pure skill,” he said, smirking at the alpha, who suddenly appeared utterly focused on his mouth, which made him drop the smile instantly.

The stranger seemed to mentally shake himself as he stood up.

“I have to go get ready, sorry. I have work today,” he said.

“Work?” Levi supposed that wasn’t surprising.

“I’m a fitness instructor.”

“Oh?” His eyes widened slightly in interest. He supposed that also explained the muscles.

“Yeah, so I have two clients booked this morning, first one at half-past seven. But I’ll try and be back before twelve,” Eren promised.

“What time is it now?”

The werewolf reached into his left pants pocket and pulled out his cell phone, looking at the display.

“About six-ten,” he answered as he looked back up at Levi.

“You should really get a clock to hang on the wall, you know,” he commented.

“I suppose,” Eren said with a small smile.

“Also, we need to go grocery shopping. I haven’t eaten anything since I got here.”

Levi watched as the alpha’s eyes grew bigger in slight horror and he guessed that somehow that small detail had slipped the taller man’s mind.

“Shit. I’m so sorry. Since I’m here so rarely I almost never buy in food and I’m a horrible cook anyway –”

“Calm down. I was just saying,” Levi interrupted to reassure him.

“I don’t even have any breakfast since I was planning to meet up with a friend before work.” He appeared completely distraught as he continued, ignoring Levi’s comment.

“I’ll survive,” Levi said firmly, before the brunette could babble on further. “Just perhaps bring some food with you when you get back, and we can go out and buy groceries after that.”

“Of course. Shit. I really am sorry,” he said sincerely.

“Really, don’t worry about it.”

The werewolf seemed to consider something then.

“You said _we_ …”

“Well, I’m not going to let you buy it on your own. I doubt you would even know what to get,” Levi huffed.

“But your wound –” Eren started protesting before Levi cut in.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Are you sure? Maybe I should have a look before I leave.” He took a step towards him like he was about to do it right there and Levi crossed his arms in response.

“I’ll do it later when I have a shower,” Levi told him.

Eren only looked at him hesitantly. “If you insist.”

“Yes, I do,” he said. “I was also thinking that maybe you could borrow me some of your clothes. I would like to throw these pants out and especially if we’re going out later I need something actually decent to put on.”

“Of course,” Eren said with a nod. “I’ll try and find something that’s not too large.”

Then he awkwardly lingered where he stood in front of the table. Levi figured he might still be feeling guilty about the whole food situation.

“Did you not have to get ready?” he asked with raised brows.

“Oh. Yeah, I’ll go do that...”

**o0o**

Levi stood in the living room window facing the front of the house and the driveway, observing as the brunette got in his car and drove off. He was relatively sure at this point that this Eren person had nothing to do with his current condition and was simply being overly trusting and nice in trying to help him. Despite this, he still held some wariness towards him, but Levi figured that was probably for the best.

He brought the clothes Eren had laid out for him with him to the bathroom and closed the door. Grunting in disgust as he saw his own reflection in the mirror, he turned away and instead focused on unwrapping the bandage. As it came undone he could feel the warning flags going off in his head.

There was no wound anymore. A faint scar instead adored his skin where it had previously been, and he knew that it was no way he could any longer deny that something was obviously different about him.

He made himself keep his breathing calm and under control as he went over what he knew. Eren said that he didn’t smell human, but also that he couldn’t place his scent, calling it strange. His healing abilities were extremely fast and all of his senses were heightened. It was something he had tried hard to ignore and disregard, but it was impossible not to notice the way his hearing had improved along with his vision, as he earlier woke up and could see much better than he ever could before in the dark. Finally, and especially, there was also his sense of smell.

He might be missing memories, but he knew for absolute certainty that he had grown up human and had never known anything else. Which only left him with the conclusion that something had happened to him during these eight months, something that had changed him. The only question remaining then was, _changed him into what?_

Sighing in frustration he pushed his severely torn pants down and simply decided to step into the shower. Turning the temperature on hot, he relished the almost burning sensation as the water cascaded down on him. Borrowing both the alpha’s shower gel and shampoo, he then washed thoroughly, staying under the showerhead until his fingers started to prune and he felt sufficiently clean.

Taking a towel hanging off the wall, he dried himself off, and after wrapping it around his waist he walked back out into the kitchen, grabbing a pair of scissors from one of the drawers before going back, placing it on the sink countertop. It was perhaps not specifically designed to cut hair, but it would have to do.

Choosing to open the cabinet he then took out the shaving cream and shaver, starting with his stubble before moving on to the hair.

The whole process took him quite a long time, as he tried his best to make himself look presentable. After he was done he stepped away from the mirror and took in his reflection. He still looked slightly malnourished, but the dark circles underneath his eyes had gone back more to their usual state of slight exhaustion. With his face newly shaved and hair in its familiar undercut, he felt almost like himself again.

Shedding the towel, he put on the shorts Eren had provided for him (also making sure to transfer the knife from the old pants). They were very much too big for him, but with the elastic band in the waist, he could simply tie it tighter around him which made it work well enough. Putting on the t-shirt after – some band logo on it that he didn’t recognise – he then turned to the mirror again, backing up so he could see as much of himself as possible, taking in just how stupid he looked in the oversized clothes. It wasn’t that Levi was insecure about his below-average height, but that did not mean that it didn’t occasionally bother him.

“Like a fucking child,” he muttered.

Then, in a moment of weakness, he grabbed the lower part of the t-shirt and brought it up to his nose and inhaled. His pupils dilating as he took in the now more concentrated scent that had enveloped him completely after putting on the clothes. Cursing himself, he released the fabric from his hands. He needed to get a grip of himself.

Putting everything he had used away and throwing the old pants in the trash, he exited the bathroom, his hunger now starting to catch up with him as he had nothing to occupy himself with any longer.

Feeling annoyance again at Eren for not having a damn clock in his house, he wondered how long he would have to wait until the werewolf came back with the food he had promised to purchase.

Lying down on the sofa – not admitting to himself that it was because his body felt weak – Levi stared up into the ceiling and started counting the wooden boards there.

When he opened his eyes next, he realised that he must have drifted off, but he didn’t know for how long he’d been out. Eren was evidentially not home yet, however, and Levi would have debated just staying curled up on the couch if it wasn’t for the fact that he hated how sluggish he felt when taking naps during the day. So, as opposed to doing just that, he stood up and went and had himself a cold glass of water, successfully making him feel more alert.

At that moment, Levi could then hear a car pulling up to the driveway, and shortly after the front door being pulled open and shut.

“I’m home!” Came the voice, and it made Levi feel a bit as though they were some kind of old married couple. He half expected himself to walk up to Eren to greet him with a  _did you have a good day at work, honey?_

But instead, Levi finished his water and put it down in the sink before rounding the corner and stopping just were the kitchen merged with the living room. Quietly watching where the werewolf stood bent down, focused on his shoes as he untied them.

“I got you Chinese food along with some sushi since I didn’t know what you preferred –”

The words were cut off as Eren placed his shoes to the side, grabbing the bags containing the takeout and took the first few steps towards him, stopping dead in his tracks as his eyes finally took in Levi’s new appearance. His eyes growing bigger, darker.

The sudden quietness put Levi immediately on edge, and he was just about to snap and ask Eren if he had some sort of problem, when the scent assaulted him.

_Arousal._

Suffocating and obvious arousal.

With a sharp inhale he could feel himself taking an unsteady step back, but without being fully aware of his actions. Almost every fibre in his body was focused on the alpha standing before him. Taking in the signals that the air was sending him. That this was a willing partner without a mate. Not only willing but also specifically desiring him. Calling out to him.

His whole body was anticipating, although he wasn’t entirely sure what.

Then he watched as Eren took a shuddering breath and stepped back, widening the distance between them further.

Levi’s eyes zeroed in on Eren’s throat as he swallowed.

“Sorry.” Levi wondered what exactly it was he was apologizing for. If it was because of something conveyed through Levi’s scent, or maybe because the werewolf thought he had done something inappropriate.

Eren then walked past him – and Levi took notice of how he made sure not to come to close – and put the two bags down on the kitchen table.

Levi meanwhile, didn’t move. Not so much because he didn’t want to, but more so because he currently felt as if he couldn’t. The air still felt thick and he had never experienced a similar situation in his life, his feet feeling glued to the floor.

“Levi?” The questioning voice coming from behind him sounded unsure, and he forced himself to move his legs, not meeting Eren’s eyes as he sat down on one of the chairs, starting to unpack one of the bags. It contained sushi, and although it was normally one of his favourite foods and he had been starving the entire day, his previous appetite seemed nowhere to be found. 

**o0o**

Eren disappeared into his room soon thereafter without another word and Levi felt silently relieved about getting away from him. His hunger had luckily kicked back in soon after he had started eating and he finished all of the sushi and even ate some of the Chinese food before he felt fully satisfied. When Eren came back out as Levi was putting the leftovers in the fridge, neither of them broached the topic of what had earlier transpired, and Levi thought that was just as well.

They agreed to head off to buy the groceries, but beyond that, there was no real conversation being exchanged between them, and the drive to the store in Eren’s pickup-truck was spent in tense silence. However, just as Eren had parked the car and they were about to go inside, he seemed to come to a realisation.

“Your wound!”

Levi turned to look at him, his right hand already on the handle.

“I forgot to ask about it when I got back. How is it looking?” Eren asked, concern visible on his face, and Levi thought showing might be easier than telling and so he simply pulled up his shirt, displaying his now bandage free stomach.

“Told you it didn’t hurt anymore,” he said, letting the t-shirt fall back down.

Eren’s expression, which first showed confusion and surprise, quickly morphed into something smugger.

“What was that again about me being a stupid brat who misjudged the severity of your injury?”

“Tch. You’re still a brat.”

“And so are you still going to claim to me that you’re human?” Eren asked, ignoring Levi’s comment.

“I should be human. I’ve been human my entire life.”

“You sure about that?”

“Yes, of course I’m fucking sure,” he responded angrily, feeling as if he was being spoken down to like some kind of toddler. He was older than this person for fuck’s sake. “And if you went and asked anyone who has ever met me they could confirm that.” He added, trying very hard not to give in to the urge to punch the alpha in the face.

“People don’t just turn into something else. Well, except for vampires, but that is not what you are,” Eren said, sounding a mix between apologetic and defensive.

“You’re confused. I’m confused. We’re all fucking confused. Can we go inside now?” Levi didn’t even wait for a reply before he opened the door and stepped out, practically slamming it shut behind him. It really didn’t help to get agitated, but he felt like it was justified at the moment. Talking about the subject which was just a big fat question mark wasn’t helping and only caused irritation at lacking answers. 

Walking up to the sliding doors of the grocery store, he both heard and felt Eren falling into steps behind him. Luckily, he didn’t make another attempt to start a conversation and they went back to not speaking, which suited Levi just fine.

He made Eren push the cart while he walked ahead, grabbing things off the shelves as they went along. It was increasingly hard to focus on the food though, as the different scents surrounding them left his head feeling dizzy.

“Eren!” The interrupting voice came from an older man. Human, Levi observed. The fact that he had been able to tell what everyone they had even come close to were just by scent was still a hard concept to grasp. Normally as a human, you had to guess based on mannerisms, appearance, and clothes, unless there was a dead giveaway or the person made it clear themselves, but it could be hard to ever know for sure.

“Garrett,” Eren responded with surprise.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you since your parents funeral. You’re looking well, son.”

Levi did not want to be here for this conversation.

“I’ll just go find the dairy section in the meantime,” he told Eren, and as he walked away he could hear the older man ask about who he was, but surrounding voices swallowed Eren’s response.

Finding the dairy section wasn’t hard and didn’t take long, but since he hadn’t brought the cart with him he refrained from starting to pick out any of the products, and instead stood to the side and waited for Eren to be done speaking with who he assumed was a family friend.

“Well, aren’t you a pretty thing. Cute too, with the clothes and all.” The voice startled him and he turned his head to the left, meeting a pair of dazzling purple eyes. Incubus, go figure.

The man before him was beautiful in all sense, the way that incubuses tended to be, and his smile was equally inviting as it was suggestive.

“Fuck off.”

“Don’t be like that, sweet thing.” Seeing as incubuses liked to feed on people’s arousal, Levi was sure the creature meant that quite literally.

“I’m not interested,” he said in a clipped tone.

“Is that so? I’ve never left a person unsatisfied, I can guarantee that you would enjoy yourself.”

“Still not interested. Go charm someone else.”

“But I find you quite fascinating. There’s something about you I can’t put my finger on,” he said as he smiled wider, reaching a hand up and lightly tracing his index finger from Levi’s brows down over his cheekbones and to his lips, a tingling feeling being left behind in its wake.

Before he could react, a pair of arms embraced him, pulling him back against a wide chest, leaving him to more so feel than hear the growl spilling out of Eren’s mouth.

“Meant no offence,” the incubus said, holding his hands up in a display of mock surrender and wearing an amused smile.

Eren only answered by growling louder, causing people around them to turn their heads.

The incubus slowly backed away, continuing to smile but also keeping his eyes fixed on Eren. He was teasing perhaps, but he obviously wasn’t stupid. Werewolves were known for their unpredictable and aggressive nature after all.

Eren didn’t completely stop growling until the incubus was out of sight, and even then he kept his arms securely locked around Levi.

“You can let me go now.”

“Oh. Right.” Eren released him as if he got burned, and Levi refused to acknowledge how a part of him wanted those arms back around him again.

Choosing not to comment or even come close to the topic of Eren’s sudden possessiveness with a ten-foot pole, he went back to their cart that Eren had abandoned further away and wordlessly continued with the shopping. Eren didn’t seem all that eager to bring it up either and so he settled for going back to pushing the cart.

As they made it to the checkout line, Levi suddenly remembered that he’d forgotten to grab any oregano and gave an annoyed sigh, telling Eren to wait as he headed back to get it. Making his way between the aisles until he arrived at where the spices were kept, he took what he came for and started to make his way back when the sudden sound of a voice stopped him.

“Big Bro, I can’t –”

His body froze and he turned as if in slow-motion towards the origin of the sound. For a moment he felt like he was going to throw up as he horrified took in the picture of Isabel kneeling on the floor, hands scratching at her throat, blood underneath her fingernails and eyes big with fear.

“Big Bro, I can’t – I can’t breathe.” Her voice was hoarse as she forced the words out, seemingly struggling with every syllable.

The pounding of his heart sounded abnormally loud in his ears, his hands sweating and his breath coming out in short and shallow bursts. His nausea grew stronger until he was almost certain this time that he was about to vomit up all of his stomach content.

Then he blinked and focused, the picture before him breaking into that of a young girl tugging at an older boy’s sleeve.

“– I can’t reach. Come on, you have to lift me up!”

The nausea didn’t leave him as he blindly staggered around the corner and back towards the checkout, a constant ringing in his ears.

Whatever that was, it wasn’t real. It wasn’t real.  _It wasn’t real._

He wasn’t even fully aware that he had reached Eren again until his voice broke through the fog that had formed in his head.

“–evi. Levi.” Eren appeared close to panicked as he grabbed onto his shoulders and lightly shook him. People around were also sending concerned looks and Levi wondered if it was his scent that gave him away or if it was the expression on his face.

“I’m okay. I’m fine. Stop shaking me,” he said as he shrugged Eren’s hands off.

“You’re distressed.”

“I’m fine,” he repeated. “Give me the car keys and I’ll wait in the car while you pay.”

Eren hesitated for a few seconds before handing the keys over, and just as Levi was about to leave he realised that he still held on to the oregano and put it down in their cart before walking out of the store.

Unlocking the car he sat down in the passenger seat and burrowed his face in his hands.

Calm down, he told himself.

Taking deep, although somewhat shaky breaths, he managed to eventually get the heavy feeling to leave his body.

From the car, he could see as Eren came out of the store and began walking towards the car, bags in hand. It hit him that he could have just driven off if he wanted to and wondered why the werewolf had done something as stupid as to give his car keys to someone he barely knew, and what’s more, someone in Levi’s current situation.

“Overly trusting idiot,” he muttered.

As Eren put the bags in the back of the car and then sat down in the driver’s seat, he didn’t immediately start the car.

“What happened?” he asked, visibly concerned.

“Nothing happened. I told you, I’m okay.”

“Something happened. That’s the most emotion I’ve seen you express since we’ve met, and you were bleeding out the first time so that says a lot. Not to mention that your scent was –”

“Nothing. Happened.” He was not going to be forced to talk about this. “Just drive the fucking car,” he added in irritation, staring out of the window at his side.

And after a couple of more seconds of silence, Eren did. 

As they returned to the house, it was obvious that although Eren hadn’t pushed the subject, he still very much wanted to discuss it, and so the incident from the grocery store hung over them for the rest of the day, neither of them really speaking to the each other unless necessary. As they ate dinner – Levi had made pasta with chicken – the only sound that could be heard in the house was that of their silverware scraping the plates.

When night time came around, Levi left the alpha in the living room and returned to his room to get some sleep. With the image of Isabel in his head still haunting him, it took him some time to relax enough to drift off, and when he finally did, he dreamt of dark walls and bloodcurdling screams. If they belonged to him or someone else, he couldn’t tell.

 

 


	3. Restraint

The next day as Levi woke up, he stayed in bed listening for any sign of the werewolf. It was both uncomfortable and foreign to have a hearing good enough to be able to pick up heartbeats from people around you. Especially when they didn’t even need to be in his immediate surrounding for him to hear it. Eren could be on the other side of the house and Levi would still be able to make out the rhythmical beating inside his chest if he concentrated on it. He had not allowed himself to explore it before, ignoring every change in his body the best as he could, as if this somehow would turn him back to normal. But now, as it was no denying it anymore, he used it to his advantage. When he didn’t hear any trace of anyone in or outside the house, he got up from the bed, making his way over to the bathroom.

He’d gone to bed the previous night in the same outfit he’d worn during the day, as he didn’t exactly jump at the idea of being naked, and consequently also vulnerable, in someone else’s house. But now, because of that, the clothes had become wrinkled and felt somewhat gross, and he thought about in distaste how he was still going to have to wear them throughout the day. Eren had promised to buy home some simple clothes along with a toothbrush on the way home, as he once again had to be away working. Levi didn’t exactly know how he felt about that. It would be nice to have his own clothes, yes, and he desperately needed to brush his teeth, but he didn’t enjoy having someone else taking care of him.

He would only have to deal with it for a while longer though, seeing as he wouldn’t be staying around much longer. Something which became even more clear as he stripped down and saw that even the scar had now completely disappeared from his skin. Being fully healed really gave him no excuse to stay any longer, even though the confusion hanging over the entire situation still made him reluctant to leave. Tonight he would talk with Eren and see if he would agree to drive him to Sina. Hopefully, Levi would be able to find some trace of what had happened there. Or better, find Isabel and Furlan.

He took his time while showering before going to the kitchen and making himself some breakfast. His hunger had returned with a vigour it would seem, something he chalked up to be because of how long he’d gone without food, and he ate a large enough portion of bacon and egg that it probably would have made him feel sick normally. When he had finished and cleaned up after himself, he went over to stand outside the closed door leading into Eren’s bedroom, glaring at it while trying to will himself to step inside.

Having wanted to have something to do during the day, he had asked Eren during last night’s dinner where he kept his cleaning supply, and although the werewolf had appeared somewhat confused at the question, he had informed Levi that he kept it in the wardrobe in his room. Which was just wonderful. Because now, Levi was actually going to have to go in there again, and it had been bad enough the first time. His skin itched annoyingly as he finally put his hand on the door handle and stepped inside, trying to brace himself for the overpowering scent.

It was worse than last time. He didn’t know why, but it was definitely several times worse. His knees almost felt as if they would give out beneath him, and his hands clenched into fists as he desperately tried to breathe through his mouth. 

This was ridiculous.

With heavy steps, he slowly started to make his way across the room. There was a pair of sliding doors on the left side – that also worked as a mirror – which he assumed led into the wardrobe. Yet, instead of walking towards it like he tried to tell himself to do, he was as if drawn towards the bed. Stopping by the headboard, he leaned down to bury his nose in the pillow lying closest to him. It smelled good. More than good actually. It smelled intoxicating. He wanted to crawl underneath the sheets and roll around in it, covering himself in it, he wanted –

With something closely resembling a snarl ripping itself from his throat, he stumbled back. He couldn’t believe he had just done that, and he couldn’t believe that he had wanted to –

 _No._ Cleaning supplies. He was going to get the cleaning supplies and then he was going to get out of there.

Finding them easily, tucked into the corner of the wardrobe, it took almost all he had to simply take what he needed while ignoring the fact that Eren’s clothes were right in front of him, and that they smelled heavenly.

Finally stepping out of the room, he slammed the door shut behind him. He felt wrong and he didn’t know what to do about it. It wasn’t only the way he felt disgusted with himself for doing what he had just done, or for what he had wanted to do, it was the way his body felt physically wrong. As if he was sick perhaps. Which for all that he knew, he might be. He probably should get himself examined in some way, because although he usually stayed away from hospitals at all costs since it was too expensive, he had Eren now, and he was sure the werewolf would agree to pay. So what if he used the other man a bit, he had done worse things. Someone examining him might also be able to shed some light on what the hell was going on with him. The only thing stopping him and that made him feel unsure, was that he remember Eren telling him how he apparently had begged not to be taken to there. Which, if it was true, had to have a reason behind it.

It really was all too confusing. Too many questions surrounding him.

Then he reminded himself that he needed to go back to Sina soon. That there had to be answers there.

Trying to shake the strange feeling still clinging to his gut, he carried the cleaning supplies into the living room and started by dusting everything. Eren wasn’t an overly messy person, but not having things randomly lying around and covering every surface did not mean that the house was necessarily clean either. There was dust practically everywhere and he grimaced at the sheer amount of it that had gathered behind the bookshelf as he pushed it aside so he could clean there. Eren had probably never bothered by the look of it.

Moving on to the floors, he started by vacuuming before scrubbing everything until it practically shined and all he could smell was the chemicals from the soap he had used. He took a pause after that to make himself lunch, hunger just as strong as it had been in the morning, before continuing and wiping practically every surface of the house – excluding Eren’s room, which he avoided completely for obvious reasons – with a wet cloth. He also gave special attention to the bathroom, making sure to thoroughly clean the toilet, sink, shower and bathtub.

When he finally finished he felt mildly exhausted, although also rather antsy, even though he had no idea as to know why that was. Something which really just seemed to be a common theme in his life for the moment.

His body felt too warm and he went outside as to let the breeze cool him down. Sitting down on the front steps, he allowed himself to rest for a while.

The sun was standing in the west, signalling that it was late afternoon and so it didn’t surprise him when he heard the approaching sound of a car shortly thereafter. Eren had said he would return around this time.

Levi stayed on the steps of the front porch, watching as the werewolf parked and walked towards him.

“You okay?” Eren asked, tilting his head slightly to the side, making some of the stray hairs from his bun fall across his face, before then raising his hand which was holding the plastic bag into the air, and adding, “I’ve got the goods you asked for.”

Instead of answering, Levi got up and walked down to stand on the lowest step, right in front of Eren, still having to look up slightly to meet his eyes. It would be easy to lean forward from here and bury his face in the werewolf’s neck. It felt like something he wanted to do.

He could hear Eren’s heart starting to beat faster and that same scent of arousal that he had smelled before, although not as strong, reached him.

Without a word he made himself grab the plastic bag from Eren’s hand, careful not to actually touch him, and went back inside. It was a bit of a relief to have the scent of chemicals filling his lungs again, as it distracted him from the scent of the werewolf.

“How much have you cleaned?” Eren who had walked in behind him was now scenting the air. It reminded Levi of a dog, which then again wasn’t such a far of comparison. He was at least thankful the werewolf didn’t ask about Levi’s strange behaviour.

“Everything,” he answered, giving a small shrug.

“I thought you were just going to like, vacuum the floor or something,” Eren sounded half-amused as he took off his shoes and jacket.

“It was dirty.”

“It wasn’t that –”

“There was dust everywhere.”

Eren didn’t say anything, just looked at him with a small smile and then continued into his room to leave the duffle bag he had been carrying over his shoulder – probably containing his workout wear – before joining Levi back in the living room.

“I figure I should make the food today then. You must have been cleaning all day after all.”

“Didn’t you say you were a horrible cook?” Levi raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Well, yeah, but I can still make pancakes,” Eren said easily with a shrug.

Levi looked at him for a while before answering.

“Pancakes sound good.”

He then turned and went to his room so he could look through the clothes Eren had purchased for him in peace. They were nothing that special, but it was what he had expected and what he had asked for. Aside from the boxer briefs and socks, there were two white t-shirts, one grey sweater, and a pair of black jeans – which luckily fitted, although he would have to roll them up since they were too long. But that was nothing he wasn’t already used to.

Wearing the new jeans and the t-shirt, he carried the borrowed clothes back out to Eren, putting them on the couch.

“Thanks for the loan,” he said, and Eren gave him a quick look from over his shoulder before turning back to the kitchen counter where he had started making the batter. “I’ll pay you back for this. And the phone too, of course.”

When the werewolf offered no reply, Levi went and sat down on one of the kitchen chairs, watching him work in the kitchen.

“The wound is completely healed now by the way.” Another no-reply. “I was thinking that if it wasn’t a problem for you, you could give me a ride back to Sina tomorrow.”

“Will you have a place there?” This time Eren turned around fully to look at him.

Levi shrugged.

“Who the fuck knows.”

“I won’t leave you on the streets,” Eren said, resolute clear in his tone.

“It’s not something I’m not already familiar with. I can handle myself just fine,” Levi said with narrowed eyes. “And what, you’re just going to take me in otherwise? Like some kind of stray?” He gave a snort of amusement. This man really was unbelievable.

Eren yet again didn’t respond, instead opted to turn away and continuing with preparing the food.

Levi watched his back as he worked and neither of them spoke for a while.

“My pack has been asking about you,” Eren said, breaking the silence as he flipped the third pancake in the frying pan.

“They know about me?”

“Obviously.” And Levi supposed that it was. From the interactions that he had had with werewolves in the past, he knew that packs were extremely close-knitted. If nothing else, they would probably have been able to smell him on Eren.

“My sister wants to meet you.”

“Sister?”

“Well, adoptive. She’s the one in the picture frame in the bookshelf.” He glanced over at it as he spoke. “She doesn’t like the idea of a stranger living in my house. Called me an idiot for bringing you home. It’s really nothing short of a miracle I’ve managed to convince her not to come here.”

“I’m sure she’ll be relieved that I’ll be leaving soon then. No need for any introductions.”

“Perhaps. I guess we’ll see.” Levi wasn’t sure if Eren was referring to him leaving or his sister meeting him, and he didn’t bother asking.

“So, about tomorrow, is it a go or not?”

“I don’t have work. I can take you there.” Although as he said it, he didn’t appear all too happy.

“Good, then we should leave in the morning.”

**o0o**

After dinner, they sat down in front of the tv together, and despite the fact that they were sitting on opposite sides, Levi felt as if Eren’s presence was far too close. He wasn’t even aware of what program they were watching, as all he could focus on was the sound of Eren’s heartbeat and the way his scent intensified the itch on his skin. His body was also running too warm again.

Whatever was going on with him was getting worse. That much was clear.

Because he was so completely focused on Eren, he noticed right away when the werewolf turned around to look at him.

“What?” he asked.

“You smell kinda like...” he let the sentence trail off as he frowned. “Your scent –” He cut himself off with a shake of his head, then opened his mouth and tried again.

“Are you okay? You’ve seemed a bit out of it today,” he said.

“I might be sick actually. Or something else that has to do with whatever the hell is the matter with me,” Levi responded with a sigh

“Maybe you should rest,” Eren said with concern in his voice.

“Yeah, I think I will actually.” He stood up and didn’t offer a good night as he walked over to his room.

**o0o**

When Levi woke next it was still dark out, and it was to the sensation of his body burning up. With a groan, he wrenched the duvet off him and scrambled out of bed. He felt weak standing up and was grateful for the fact that he hadn’t pushed the drawer in front of the door before he’d gone to bed. It was doubtful he would have been able to push it aside now.

His head was still foggy from sleep, and it wasn’t until he was out in the hallway and the scent of Eren got more tangible that he realised he had been unconsciously trying to get closer to it. It was like the day before, when he had been drawn towards the werewolf’s bed. Only, if he thought it had been bad yesterday, it was hell today.

That was also the moment that Levi realised with detached shock that he was hard, and it must be worth some kind of achievement that he hadn’t noticed it before because he was practically aching.

“Fuck.”

He leaned against the wall for support as he without further thought pressed the palm of his hand against the erection straining his underwear, a low moan escaping him. Blood was pumping in his ears.

This was then the moment that Eren practically yanked his door open and stepped out of his room, stopping to stare at him with wide eyes. Levi hadn’t heard him getting up and he jerked back in surprise.

Then, when the full force of Eren’s scent hit him, his legs gave out beneath him, and he would have fallen to the floor if it wasn’t for the werewolf quickly dashing forward and grabbing him. Feeling the touch of Eren’s hands on his skin was equal part soothing as it was unbearable. Feeding the flames within him while also putting them at ease. Without thinking, he grabbed a hold of Eren’s shoulders to steady himself, while also pulling the werewolf closer.

The next series of events happened in a blur.

Eren suddenly pressed him against the wall, his large and firm hands gripping his waist with a force that could bruise. Then he bent down and rubbed their necks together, before starting to mouth along his neck, sucking and nipping at the sensitive area. He did all this, all the while growling low in his throat, and Levi fucking whimpered. It was probably the most pitiful sound that had ever escaped him, but when Eren’s only response was to growl more viciously and press their bodies even closer together, he couldn’t even begin to feel ashamed about it. Instead, he moaned loudly, because Eren was so close and he smelled so good and it was everything he didn’t know he needed.

Then, it was as if reality checked back in. The realisation of what he was doing, what  _they were doing_ and he immediately pushed Eren away, causing the werewolf to stagger back until he hit the opposite wall.

His eyes were ablaze. Almost golden as he looked back at Levi, but then Levi could see as his mind caught up with him as well because his eyes widened and when he blinked they went back to their usual green.

Both their breathings were laboured as they stared at each other.

Levi’s body was screaming at him. Wanting and needing Eren close again. What was happening to him? What was this?

“Shit, shit, shit.” Eren cursed while running his hands through his hair. When he looked at Levi again, the brunette's eyes looked about as confused and alarmed as he felt.

“Levi, you’re – shit.” He raked his hands through his hair again before finishing. “Levi, you’re in heat.”

For a moment, all Levi could focus on was the roughness of Eren’s voice, but then what he said actually registered in his head.

“What?” The words felt thick leaving his mouth.

“You’re in heat,” he repeated.

“I’m not a were-creature.”

“I don’t – I don’t know.” Eren looked almost helpless where he stood. Like he was lost.

“What do you mean, you don’t know? Eren, I’m not a were-creature, and I’m sure as hell not an omega.” Levi’s voice was filled with agitation.

“I don’t know!” Eren appeared equally as frustrated as he stared back at him. He then took several deep breaths before continuing.

“I’ve never smelt someone in a heat this strong before, Levi.”

“How can I be in heat, Eren? Huh? We just went over this.”

“You think I’m making this stuff up?” He raised his voice again as he spoke and before Levi had a chance to respond he continued talking.

“If you don’t believe me, how do you explain it then? You reek of arousal, and even if I couldn’t smell it I can see it.” The last words of the sentence were said with a growl, and he stopped himself briefly before continuing. “Heat symptoms also include higher body temperature, lack of strength, and skin sensitivity. Is that anything that feels like what you have?” It was a question, but Eren didn’t sound like he needed an answer to it.

Heat. _He was in heat._

Eren must have either smelled or been able to see how sick he felt because the werewolf reached out his hand as he took a step forward, looking at Levi with concerned eyes.

But Levi didn’t want his help. In fact, despite what his body tried to convince him of, he didn’t want Eren anywhere close to him right now. He had seen an alpha lose control before – living in the slums it wasn’t such a strange occurrence – and he knew that they could get extremely violent. He also knew how affected they could be from heats and Eren had just told him he had never smelled one as strong as this. It wasn’t safe to have Eren in this close proximity to him. At least not without the knife on him.

So he slapped Eren’s hand away, hoping that he would get the message.

Only, instead of stepping back, Eren took another step forward.

“Levi –” He was abruptly cut off as Levi felt something snap within him and he launched forward, pushing Eren backwards, making him hit the wall harshly. With a snarl, he then grabbed Eren by the throat with one of his hands. Nails digging into the skin.

“Holy shit.” Eren’s voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke, voice sounding more surprised than scared, with his eyes transfixed on his mouth. “Levi, your teeth.”

Levi blinked, trying to focus. Eren wasn’t fighting back and he let his grip around his throat go as he stepped back. His ears were ringing again.

His head was groggy as he turned to his left, and his body felt slow as he reached for the bathroom door, shutting it behind him and locking the door. More or less stumbling up to the sink, he looked at his reflection.

His hands were shaking as he brought them up to his face, touching the row of razor-sharp teeth that seemed to have grown out of his skin. Lifting his lip, he could see where they emerged from the flesh in his gum, and when he opened his mouth further and looked inside, he could see his normal teeth, still there, just inside the new row. Letting his hands fall he then watched in horror as they retracted, leaving him with just the normal set of teeth, only a dull ache left behind.

“Levi, are you okay in there?” Eren’s voice could be heard from outside the door.

Sudden flashes of pained screams and faceless people blinded him. He barely made it to the toilet before he threw up.

“Levi?” Eren’s voice was more urgent this time and Levi idly wondered if he was going to try to break down the door.

Flushing the toilet, he stood up on shaky legs and walked to the shower, not taking off the boxer briefs before stepping under the water. He turned the temperature to as cold as it could go, grounding him while also soothing his skin. It made him feel somewhat more clearheaded.

He rinsed out his mouth multiple times until he could no longer taste vomit, and only when he was cold enough that he could barely feel his fingers did he turn the water off and stepped out. Grabbing the same towel he had used that morning, he dried himself off. Taking off his underwear, he then wrapped the towel around his waist instead.

At least his erection had gone down.

Momentarily at least, a part of his mind whispered, and he knew that was true. He could already feel his body heating up again.

Unlocking and opening the door, he stayed in the doorway as he looked over at Eren who was scrambling up from where he had been sitting on the floor, although making no attempt to come closer, keeping a careful distance between them.

“Are you okay?”

Levi didn’t offer a reply.

“You need to stay away from me,” he said instead.

“What?” He appeared confused at first before shaking his head. “Levi, I’m not going to hurt you. Or take advantage of you or whatever you may think. What happened before won’t happen again, okay? I don’t know what you think you know, but alphas are not just mindless creatures, we are perfectly able to control ourselves. Some just – don’t.”

Levi wasn’t completely sure if he believed him fully on that, but it didn’t matter, because that wasn’t what he had been referring to.

“I wasn’t talking about that,” he said. “I’m unstable. We don’t know what’s happening and I just grew a new set of fucking razor-sharp teeth. You need to stay the fuck away from me.”

Eren shook his head as though immediately dismissing the thought. “You didn’t hurt me just now, so I’m gonna say that you know how to control yourself too.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” he said bitterly.

“You need someone to take care of you during the heat. Especially when it gets worse. And if you’re unstable, that’s just one more reason why I should be here,” Eren urged him “Not to mention that you also currently live in my house, so where do you expect me to go?”

“Your pack,” he said simply.

“That’s not happening,” he said stubbornly, shaking his head again.

“You could drive me to Sina.”

“And what? Leave you to get raped on the streets?” Eren’s voice was again right on the verge of a growl as he spat the words out.

And yes, Levi knew that was probably the worst option available. But he didn’t like this option either.

“Fine. But you do not come into the room unless I tell you that you can.”

“Deal,” Eren answered, straightening up, and Levi stared at him for a few seconds.

He appeared calmer now. His scent was still tainted by arousal, but there was also concern and determination mixed in, and his heartbeat had stayed steady throughout the entire conversation.

“I’m going to go to bed again,” Levi told him. “If this does get worse I think it would be best to try and get some sleep while I can. Now to mention that my head is killing me.”

Eren nodded in reply. “I can check in on you in the morning,” he said resolutely.

“Just don’t open the door until I give you an okay,” Levi told him with narrowed eyes.

“Of course.” Eren stared at him earnestly, begging Levi to trust him with his eyes.

Without another word, Levi retreated into his room and slipped back into bed, ignoring the slight itching of his sensitive skin as he pulled the duvet back up around him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the place where I basically stopped writing last time so finally moving onto some newer written stuff next update


	4. Pleasure

Despite his best efforts, Levi didn’t actually manage to sleep. There was a lot of twisting and turning, but no matter the position he arranged his body in did he achieve any shut-eye. His headache was slowly replaced by the returning feeling of his body burning up, and this time the feeling grew even stronger than what it had before. At one point he started to think that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he might actually be dying.

It didn’t make the situation better that Eren also seemed worried. He had kept his promise of staying away, but at one point during near morning, after Levi had just barely registered hearing him make a phone call and shortly after someone dropping by the house, Eren had knocked on the door and given Levi some pills made to apparently help with heats. Those, however, ended up not doing much at all and Eren’s distress at Levi’s worsening condition was noticeable. He insisted on checking in on him every couple of minutes to see, or at least hear through the door, how he was getting by. When Levi had inquired if the alpha didn’t have to head to work, and that he would be fine on his own, Eren had looked at him as though he was out of mind before simply replying that he’d taken a few days off and not to worry about it.

“This isn’t normal, something is wrong with you,” he was for the moment saying in an urgent tone from where he was standing in the doorway, gripping the door handle with a force that Levi thought might break it off.

“Well, if you aren’t just a fucking genius,” Levi answered, and god, his voice sounded like he had a crow stuffed down his throat.

“Could I make you something to eat?” Eren asked, completely ignoring his comment. “You should eat something.”

“Eren, if I tried to eat something right now I would just puke it right back up.”

The alpha made a face in response as if he had swallowed something sour, but fought on.

“Something to drink then. I’ll bring you some more tea.”

Sighing deeply, Levi leaned his head back on the pillow but didn’t argue. Not bothering to remind the werewolf that there was still half a cup left of the tea he’d been given just about ten minutes ago.

When Eren came back with the tea and put it on the bedside table, he lingered by the side of the bed, visibly reluctant about leaving. Levi could relate. Eren smelled so good he wanted to choke on it and wasn’t that a disturbing thought.

“So,” Levi started, propping himself up on one elbow, “about how difficult is this for you right now?”

For just a moment Eren looked at him and it was like a mask had been taken off, the want in his eyes making Levi sear, before it shifted away and he was left only with a powerful urge to reach out to in whatever way make Eren turn those eyes towards him again. When Eren answered, his voice sounded slightly rougher than that of its usual tone.

“It’s fine.”

Levi felt his lip curl up in a small amused smile.

“You’re a bad liar,” he said.

“I’m handling it, aren’t I?” The alpha replied defensively.

“Eren, I’m not worried about you losing control, calm down,” Levi reassured him because for better or for worse, he was actually starting to trust this person.

“Then maybe—” He cut himself off before he had time to finish the sentence, simply looking at Levi for a couple of seconds with an intensity that spoke of clear desire, which Levi was helpless against not answering right back. It was Eren who broke it off first, staring off just over Levi’s shoulder, seemingly building up the courage before speaking.

“I could help you.”

Levi didn’t say anything. They both knew what those words meant.

“I know that you’ve tried… I know that it hasn’t worked,” Eren continued.

He was talking about Levi’s attempts at masturbating, which had all failed to get rid of the fucking aching erection between his leg, along with the strange and foreign ache lower down that Levi honestly just ignored after having reached a hand down and been met with something wet that was just not supposed to be there. Perhaps he should feel some type of embarrassment over having been overheard, but the horrible sensation that had taken over his body made it seem insignificant.

“I could help,” the alpha repeated, returning his eyes to meet Levi’s.

“And you think that would be safe?” Levi asked with raised eyebrows. “What with me sprouting shark teeth and all. I could possibly harm you, I almost already did.”

“I told you already, I trust you with not hurting me. And even _if_ you snapped or anything happened, I’m strong and can handle it. Not to mention that I heal fast, so that’s not something that you need to be concerned about,” Eren replied adamantly, before making a small noise of frustration.

“Look,” he started by saying, “it’s not even about the fact that I want you, _which yes, obviously,_ but it’s more just— It’s really hard to see you like this and not being able to do anything, so if you’re okay with it and there’s a possibility that I can prevent you from suffering like this then…” He let himself trail off, looking uncertain and uncomfortable.

Levi spent a few moments regarding him before answering.

“Fine.”

“And you mean fine, as in?”

“Eren, I think I may be in literal hell right now, my body aches, my skin itches, I’m so fucking aroused it’s honestly hard to think. I don’t actually dislike you and I find you attractive, not to mention that something in my mind is begging me to have you fuck me.” — at this Eren drew a trembling breath — “You showed that you respect my wishes and can keep away from me even when I’m masturbating in a room over and must be giving off so many… _hormones_ that it’s hard for you to breath. So if it’s possible that this might cause me to feel less like I’m lying on my deathbed, then you’re right, we should try it. I’m not going to turn you down.”

“Oh.”

He gave a soft snort of amusement and lay back down, mostly because it was actually really tiring keeping himself propped up.

“Okay, so just to make this clear, you’re allowing me to touch you?” Eren asked, swallowing audibly.

Levi gave a sigh of exasperation.

“Jesus, yes I’m allowing you to—” His sentence was broken off as Eren more or less pounced on him, pressing him down onto the bed and he gave a small sound of shock. Eren’s hands went to his hair first, gripping it tightly and then running his fingers through it, before continuing to trail them down his face and onto his neck, where he stopped to rub the inside of his wrists, eliciting a moan from Levi, because something about that simply felt extremely right.

 _He’s sent marking you,_ his mind whispered.

“God, Levi you don’t even— Fuck.” Eren’s breathing was heavy as he stared down at him, eyes wild and body almost shaking. There was a frenzy within him now that hadn’t been there before, as if someone had cut some type of cord within him and Levi felt a sort of exhilarating in knowing that he was the one who had held the scissors.

As the werewolf bent down and burrowed his face against his throat, Levi tilted it to the side to give better excess, the move causing a rumble to erupt from within the alpha’s chest. Crooning, Levi recognised it as. A sound he never would've thought would be directed towards him.

“Good omega,” Eren mumbled with his mouth pressed against his skin. Levi would have said something about not actually being an omega if it wasn’t for the fact that Eren then sucked down hard on his throat before letting his teeth gently bite him, causing any real thought process to completely go out the window.

All he wanted was for Eren to bite down harder. _To mark him, to claim him, to make him his_.

The wine that tore from Eren’s throat before he bit down slightly firmer told Levi that the alpha must suffer from the same thoughts.

“Okay, off! The clothes, the bedsheets, off,” Levi urged, as he started to try pushing down the sheet from his body that separated him from the werewolf. If his body didn’t get any release soon he might just go insane.

Eren, however, seemed to not even hear him, instead trying to make Levi turn his head the other way so he could continue his demonstrations on that side as well, making something sounding almost like a whimper when Levi didn’t comply.

“Eren,” Levi said, waiting until the alpha turned his unfocused eyes to meet his. “Clothes, off, now.”

At least that seemed to garner some understanding, as he nodded in reply before raising his body away from Levi and practically ripping his clothes off his body, at the same time as Levi finally managed to get the bedsheets away from between them.

When Eren then lowered himself down, their now both naked bodies slotting together, a shudder ran through them both, Eren’s large hands coming down to cup his face before pressing their lips together. The kiss quickly turned deeper and made everything in Levi’s body scream with the rightness of it all. At that moment there was nothing in him that doubted that he and this werewolf must have been made for each other, that they belonged together.

If they separated now Levi was pretty sure the ache and borderline pain he had been dealing with up until this point would turn into something unbearable.

Luckily, it didn’t seem as if Eren had any thoughts about leaving, practically clinging on to him, touching him anywhere and everywhere he could get his hands on, and Levi could do little else than cling back. He needed Eren, desperately and maddingly. Needed him more than he probably needed air at that moment.

When Eren finally reached his hand down and pressed against his opening, Levi shocked himself with the high keen that he released in response. He needed Eren closer, he needed him _inside_.

“God,” Eren breathed, and his hands were trembling against Levi’s skin. “You’re going to drive me wild if you keep saying things like that.”

Oh, he must have accidentally spoken aloud then. Maybe he should have felt embarrassed for practically having begged, but he was too lost in himself to even care.

“Really don’t think I’d mind,” Levi told him, and he felt how Eren’s hands sort of spasmed against him, wanting to grip tighter but stopping himself.

“That’s not a good idea, I should be gentle with you,” Eren said, but it sounded more like he was speaking to himself than to Levi, almost as though trying to convince himself.

“Whatever, as long as you just hurry the fuck up and get on with it,” Levi huffed, lifting his hip to try and get closer to Eren, who’s attention instantly shifted back at his movement.

“Stay still,” he ordered, hands pressing Levi down back onto the mattress, keeping him there firmly.

Anticipation travelled like electricity through his body as Eren then once again pressed one of his fingers against his opening, this time letting it slip inside. His hands curled into fists at his side as the most helpless sound left his lips.

Eren swore as he added another finger, this one slipping in just as easily as the first. His breathing was heavy and desperate as his eyes seemed almost fixated on that place where his fingers rhythmically left and then re-entered Levi’s body.

“Eren, for all that is holy, I need you to fuck me,” Levi gritted out, grabbing hold of Eren’s upper arm and jerking him closer.

Eren stared at him with full-blown pupils and then simply nodded.

“Yeah,” he said, “okay.”

Then he agonizingly slowly pulled his fingers free and Levi could feel his hole practically aching to be filled again. When Eren then lined himself up and started to push inside, everything else fell away and all he could feel and focus on was Eren’s stiffness pressing into him, the rightness of it.

Eren’s head came down to rest at his collarbone, his uneven breaths pressed against Levi’s skin as he became fully seated inside of him.

He vaguely became aware that Eren was growling softly as his heavy body pressed down on him possessively, and he had a stray thought of wondering just how much of Eren's animal side was currently present.

“Move.” He could barely get the words out as he spoke, had a hard time focusing enough to be capable of speech.

Eren didn’t respond more than by starting to slowly pull out and then push back inside, and Levi fell apart at the sensation of it. Yet, however good it felt, Levi already knew that he needed more, something else that would sooth this enormous hunger inside his body.

Lifting his legs up, he wrapped them around Eren to press him even closer, while also lifting his hips to meet Eren’s thrusts, and he groaned at the harsh way that Eren’s hips snapped against his own as a result.

Eren made a sound as if the air had been punched from his lungs and bit down at the juncture between Levi’s neck and shoulder. It wasn’t hard enough to break the skin but still firm enough that Levi could feel a slight twinge of pain from it. An almost feral part of him wanted Eren to draw blood, to fully mark him, and the deep desire for that almost frightened him. Yet it didn’t stop the moan from falling from his lips as he automatically tipped his head to the side in offering.

 _Yes, please, more_ , it felt as though his body was screaming. He was burning alive from inside, and Eren was both the ignitor and extinguisher to those flames.

“Mine,” Eren growled and Levi felt the vibrations from those words in his skin. When he bit down again, Levi felt teeth too sharp to belong to any human and he realised that Eren must be partially transformed. This time the teeth sank down far enough to break through and Levi could feel blood trickle out from the wound. Yet even though it hurt, that feeling was overpowered by an overwhelming sense of bliss, as though Eren had reached down and touched his very soul.

“Fuck,” he gasped, his nails scratching down Eren’s back mindlessly as he could feel himself shattering into pieces, his orgasm sweeping through him like a tsunami wave, leaving him panting in the wake of it. But even though he had just reached the peak of pleasure, he could still feel that ever-burning fire within him and he clung to Eren even harder than before.

“Please.” He wasn’t fully sure what it was that he was begging for, but he needed something more and he knew instinctively that Eren could give it to him.

The werewolf lifted his head and crushed their mouths together, his movements turning even more vigorous and punishing as his stiffness inside of Levi swelled. He could taste his own blood on Eren’s lips, but instead of feeling disgusted, he surrendered himself to it, letting Eren take everything that he wanted, and when he felt the knot finally catch on his rim and push inside one final time, Levi yielded completely underneath him, hardly registering as he came a second time.

Eren was mumbling things against his throat, nearly quivering as he reached his own release, his cum filling Levi until he had nothing more to give.

The urgency inside of him had died down until it was now only something tiny fluttering in his chest and he felt deep exhaustion take over his body in its place. He blacked out before he could register anything else.

**o0o**

When he came to, Eren was still lying on top of him, his hot breath fanning against Levi’s neck as one of his hands ran lazily through his hair.

“Back with me?” Eren mumbled, his nails scraping pleasantly against Levi’s scalp.

“Think so,” he said, shifting slightly and sucking in a breathe as this caused Eren’s cock to shift inside of him, causing Eren to huff out a laugh.

“Unless you want to go again right now you should stay still,” he said, voice playful as he nipped at Levi’s skin. It was the same place where Eren had bit him before, but even without looking in the mirror Levi already knew that the wound had closed itself up. He told himself that was a good thing and pushed down the part of him that felt a deep disappointment over the mark not being permanent.

“How long does this usually take?” he wondered.

“For the knot to go down?” Eren said, his voice sounding as if he was only half concentrating on the conversation. “Depends, but around ten minutes maybe.”

He pressed kisses up Levi’s throat, crooning at him all the while. His body language, his scent, everything was signalling to Levi about a satisfied alpha, and the same part of him that recognised that behaviour also took pride in the fact that he himself was the reason for it. Felt almost powerful with it.

It was not something he wanted to think about. This thing inside of him, these instincts, they still felt all too foreign and overwhelming, like they would take over his entire self if he wasn’t careful enough.

When he could feel Eren’s knot slowly starting to deflate he immediately began to squirm underneath him, but Eren simply held him in place as he carefully pulled out and Levi sucked in a breathe as the cock slid out of him, leaving him empty. He shivered as Eren got up on his knees, staring down at him as he gently began to probe with his fingers at Levi’s opening, softly pressing at the sensitive skin there. When he felt some of Eren’s cum slowly trickling out, Eren used one of his fingers to scoop it up and push it back inside, his eyes appearing almost enthralled.

“What are you doing?” Levi asked, ignoring how he could already feel himself growing hotter again.

Eren seemed to snap out of it as he looked up at Levi’s voice, appearing sheepish as he answered.

“Sorry, it’s just – Feels right, is all.”

“Okay well, still kind of weird, maybe don’t do that,” he said, starting to turn to manoeuvre himself to get up, but Eren pushed him back down again.

“Where are you going?” he asked and Levi gave him a strange look.

“I just want to go grab a snack.”

“I’ll do it for you,” Eren said hurriedly.

“Or I can do it myself.” He spoke the words slowly as he regarded Eren quizzically.

“No, I can do it. I don’t like the thought of you going anywhere,” he said, voice sounding determined even in its embarrassment.

Before Levi had the chance to protest, Eren had already got up from the bed. He seemed almost anxious where he stood, equal parts eager to please as he was hesitant to leave Levi alone.

“What did you want to eat?”

“I was just thinking of grabbing the grapes we bought at the store,” Levi said, not seeing any point in insisting. He didn’t really want to move either way.

“Okay, I’ll go get them.”

As Eren disappeared out of sight Levi propped himself up on the bed’s headboard with a pillow behind his back. When he did, he caught sight of the knife that had gotten stuck between the frame and the mattress, tucked beneath the pillow. He’d completely forgotten about it before, and now he hesitated at the sight of it. It was good that Eren hadn’t seen it, and Levi didn’t exactly feel like bringing it to his attention, so he quickly grabbed it and stuffed it into the bedside table instead. He would put it back into the drawer later since it seemed overly paranoid to keep it on him at this point.

Levi had only just closed the drawer when Eren came back in, a bowl of grapes in his hands. He took the bowl without saying thank you, because frankly Eren had been adamant about getting them himself, and he savoured the sweet taste of it as he popped the first one into his mouth. Eren crawled up on the bed again, moving behind Levi so that he was practically sitting in the werewolf’s lap, tightening his arms around him and nuzzling into his throat.

“I can feel it already coming on again,” Levi murmured after a few minutes of silence. He felt peaceful sitting there pressed so close together with Eren in a way he couldn’t explain, but there was no denying the heat growing worse.

“I know,” Eren said, hands already inching further down his body. He then bit down gently at the back of his neck and took the bowl of now half-eaten grapes and put them aside before moving them so that they were lying down again, this time with Levi on his stomach.

“I can help with that,” Eren whispered into his ear, his cock already filled out and resting like a heavy weight at the back of Levi’s thigh and Levi could feel his breathing growing heavier in anticipation.

“God, I want you,” Eren said as he propped Levi up on his knees and elbows, and even though it made him feel exposed and vulnerable, the haze that had crawled its way back inside his head seemed to recognise the position as _right_ somehow. He shivered as Eren’s hand caressed his ass, almost choking on air as he then without any forewarning pressed two of his fingers inside.

“Motherfucker,” he swore, struggling between wanting to lean away from the sensation or pushing back into it. He settled for doing neither, feeling sweat on his upper lip as Eren unceremoniously pulled his fingers out again.

“If you only knew what you look like right now. What you’re doing to me,” he said, his voice breathless. When then he leaned down to whisper into Levi’s ear, he could feel it all the way down to his bones.

“You’re going to be a good omega for me?”

Levi didn’t even have an opportunity to respond, which even with this haze around him would probably have been something along the lines of _Fuck you,_ as Eren just after asking entered Levi with one single thrust and all air left his lungs.

He expected Eren to go fast, to thrust into him with abandon. It was what he wanted, what he longed for, but instead, Eren took up an agonizingly slow pace. Levi could feel every ridge of his cock as it dragged out and then pushed its way back inside of him, occasionally grazing against that one spot that made it feel as if a whole electric current was running through his body. It felt more like teasing than actual fucking and it drove him half out of his mind

“You feel so good. Made for me,” Eren praised him and Levi could only gasp in response. He didn’t think he could talk even if he tried.

When Eren reached his hand around to grip his hardness, it only took one tug for Levi to spill on the sheets, oversensitive as he was, and with the energy leaving his body he didn’t have the strength to hold himself up any longer, and Eren followed him down as he collapsed on to the mattress.

A few more thrust and Eren was soon coming as well, groaning loudly as the knot was lodged into place. He shifted them so that they were lying side by side instead, Eren embracing him from behind and tracing patterns along his side as they both gathered their breaths.

This time when the knot eventually went down, however, Levi did not feel the heat subside, instead it seemed to return with full force, making his skin crawl with it. Frustration built up inside of him and with a single quick movement he had Eren pressed down on his back, Levi straddling his chest and the alpha staring up at him with wide eyes.

“Again,” he said, and Eren could do little else than oblige.

**o0o**

All in all, his heat lasted for five whole days, which was exhausting to say the least. Eren brought him food and followed him into the shower a couple of times so that they could both wash up. Now, he would have liked to say that Eren was just overbearing, but Levi didn’t think he would have actually been able to remain standing in the shower if it wasn’t for Eren supporting him.

When he could feel it finally leaving his body he more or less passed out, sleeping for fifteen hours as his body recovered. He felt better when he woke back up, not as much used and abused as before, even though there was still a bone-deep fatigue that stayed with him.

Eren was still asleep next to him, probably feeling nearly as tired as Levi, his arm and leg thrown over him and his face pressed into Levi’s hair, the air from when he exhaled tickling his ear. For a moment Levi considered simply not moving, but with his bladder screaming at him, he carefully extracted himself from under Eren’s limbs and got up from bed.

He looked down when he could hear Eren shifting, but the alpha didn’t appear to wake up, only moving to burrow his face down into the pillow that Levi had been using, trying to get closer to his scent. Pulling himself away from the desire to crawl back down, he went to the bathroom, taking the opportunity to also brush his teeth and take a quick shower, washing away the sweat and dried semen coating his body. After then drying himself off he went back into the room to get some clothes to put on, expecting Eren to have woken up but finding him still sleeping in bed. He hesitated when his eyes caught sight of Eren’s discarded t-shirt lying haphazardly on the floor, before deciding that fuck it, he doubted Eren would mind him stealing it for a bit and it was big enough to reach down to his thighs anyway. With his skin still feeling too sensitive he didn’t really want to put on actual pants. He told himself that was all there was too it, that it had nothing to do with how much he liked being surrounded by Eren’s scent.

“You look good in my clothes,” Eren said lazily and Levi’s head snapped up in surprised. Maybe not so asleep then.

“They’re too big for me,” he replied with a roll of the eyes.

“Still looks good though,” Eren said, getting up from the bed and approaching him slowly before embracing him in a hug, nuzzling his face against the top of Levi’s head.

He fought the urge to return the gesture, keeping his arms straight at his side, and when Eren started to lean down to kiss him he turned his head away.

“Your breathe stinks, you should brush your teeth,” he said, which it didn’t really, but he felt as if Eren needed to be taken down a peg. Levi couldn’t have him get too comfortable.

Instead of being offended, Eren only laughed, looking down at him with something Levi refused to call adoration.

“I’ll go do that then,” he said with a smile, and Levi watched his naked back as he went into the bathroom, refusing to let his eyes drop below waist level.

Levi put on some coffee for them both while Eren got ready, making himself a sandwich and sinking down on the sofa with a sigh. When Eren came and sat down next to him, Levi made sure to keep a certain space between them, even as Eren obviously wanted to inch closer.

“Okay so at this point, I’m willing to admit that I’m probably not human anymore, or ever was I guess, I don’t know,” Levi said, breaking the silence. “But you called me an omega, why? Is that what you think I am?”

Eren appeared to consider his answer for a while, a frown on his forehead.

“Not really. You smelled a lot like one when you were in heat, but right now there are only traces of it left. You don’t smell like any other omega I’ve ever met, werewolf or any other type of were-creature in any case.” He looked at Levi with apologetic eyes. “It’s hard to explain.”

“Right. But only omegas experience heats though, don’t they?”

“As far as I know, I mean alphas have ruts, which I suppose is a form of heat, but it’s different and they don’t smell the same.”

“We won’t be getting anywhere with this,” Levi grumbled, his head falling back on the backrest of the sofa, feeling equal parts tired and irritated.

“I was actually thinking that you should come to meet my pack,” Eren said, and Levi turned his head to look at him with raised brows.

“How in the ever-loving fuck would that help anything?”

“Well, one of them, Armin, he’s studying to become a doctor and he’s really smart. So maybe not a hospital but it would be better than nothing,” Eren explained, pausing slightly before adding, “Also, my sister still wants to meet you.”

Levi felt a strong aversion to playing nice with a bunch of strangers, but he supposed that it could actually be helpful.

“Fine, guess we could try that.”

“I promise they’re nice, and we can leave any time you want,” Eren assured him, obviously picking up his mood, and leaning towards him to place a hand on his ankle as if he simply couldn’t stop himself from touching. Levi’s eyes looked up from the hand sending tingles throughout his entire leg and met Eren’s eyes.

“It’s nothing against them personally,” he said. “I’m just not especially good with people in general.”

“Well, we’ll just leave whenever you want,” he said, his hand starting to stroke Levi’s legs with gentle movements, moving upwards all the while.

“Haven’t you had enough after these five days?” Levi asked drily, but Eren only leaned further towards him in response, making Levi mirror his movement until he was lying down on his back with Eren hovering over him.

“We don’t need to do anything, I just want to feel you,” he said, and Levi didn’t put up a fight as he brought their lips together.

Later that evening when they were to go bed again, Levi debated sending Eren to his own room since he didn’t want to give the werewolf any strange ideas about attachment, but ultimately he let Eren follow him inside anyway, couldn’t think to refuse with Eren’s warm body at his back. He told himself that it wasn’t as though it had to mean anything.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to make it clear, if it wasn’t already from this chapter, heats in this universe are not as extreme as they often are in ABO stories. The omegas don’t just lose themselves and need anyone to come fuck them without caring in the slightest who it is as long as they get a knot in them. In general, it’s much milder were people simply get rly horny since it’s their prime time to procreate and on top experience various symptoms like the ones Eren mentioned in the previous chapter. It also varies a lot from person to person how it affects them, much like how having your period is hell for some people and no problem for others. It’s also not this thing where an alpha is the only one who can satisfy omegas in heat, even tho there certainly are instincts that play into that, and in normal cases omegas can just masturbate and be pretty much fine. The normal time period for a heat to last is also around only 3 days, and the pills that Eren tried to give to Levi which are a type of heat suppressants are also very common, much how one will take pain killers to help with cramps. And it goes without saying that rut for the alphas are much the same situation.


	5. Possessive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was meant to be updated like last month but I've basically spent most of the summer just working and stress-reading books so I didn't have much time for anything else

They were sitting in the car, Eren having just pulled up onto the driveway for a big house in an outlying district of the city, only a few other houses around them, all of them spread out with quite a bit of distance between each one. It was a nice area, with the houses all appearing newly renovated, and with a small forest in the backdrop which Levi thought was probably what drew the werewolves there in the first place.

“This feels a lot like meeting the family,” Levi muttered as they walked up to the house together, Eren walking close enough to brush up against his side.

“Well, they are my family,” Eren said.

“I mean more in a way where we would be together and I’m meeting the parents for approval or some shit,” Levi clarified, glancing up towards Eren and finding him blushing as he didn’t stop to knock before opening the door. Levi guessed he didn’t really need to considering it had to be a second home to him, not to mention that the werewolves inside must have already heard them coming either way.

As they entered, they were greeted by a woman standing in the hall and Levi instantly recognised her from the photograph on Eren’s bookshelf.

“Mikasa,” Eren said warmly in greeting, stepping forward to wrap his sister in a hug. She returned the hug with a smile but Levi didn’t miss the way that she scrunched up her nose.

“You must be Levi,” she said, turning to face him as she and Eren stepped away from each other. Sticking her hand out for a handshake, Levi took it and wasn’t surprised by her strong grip as she shook his hand. She was an Alpha after all.

She didn’t make it a secret that she was studying him as she regarded him openly, eyes sweeping over his form critically. Levi also didn’t miss the way her nostrils flared as she scented him.

“You’re really not being subtle, are you?” she said drily as she turned to Eren, apparently finished with her examination.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, but Levi didn’t miss the embarrassment in his tone and he wondered as to what exactly she was referring to.

“Sure you don’t,” she said with a roll of her eyes as she turned to walk away. Eren motioned for Levi to follow and they passed the staircase as she led them into what appeared to be the living room.

“Ymir and Christa are out, but the rest should be around,” Mikasa was saying, as Levi’s eyes came to rest on the three people lounging on the couch.

“Levi, this is Jean, Reiner, and Bertholdt,” she told him, pointing to the three males respectively. They all appeared quite tall even when sitting down, although Bertholdt appeared to rise above the other two, which made Levi slightly surprised when he could smell that the man was an omega. Then again, stereotypes didn’t always reflect reality.

The blond sitting in the middle, however, was wearing a sleeveless shirt that plainly showed of his abundance of muscles, and it very much reminded Levi of the stereotypical alpha werewolf that would usually be shown on television. He supposed that maybe Eren fit that stereotype pretty well himself.

“Ah, finally we get to meet him. The man of the hour,” the one furthest to the right was saying, a smirk on his lips. Jean, Levi repeated to himself, a beta.

“Behave,” Mikasa warned and Jean raised his hands in a show of mock surrender.

“I didn’t even do anything,” he said.

“Let’s keep it that way,” she told him, before turning away to look into the hallway and Levi followed her line of sight to see the other person that he recognised from the photograph come walking towards them, although his hair was now a bit shorter than before.

“Eren,” he said, a smile on his face as he more or less threw his arms around him. When he stepped back, his eyes flickered over to Levi, giving him an equally happy smile.

“And you’re Levi,” he said, reaching his hand out for a handshake. For a moment Levi only stared at it, not sure why he felt such an immediate strong dislike, almost anger, towards this complete stranger. Then it clicked in his head, and Levi realised with instant shame that it was because he didn’t like the thought of another omega that close to Eren, showing him affection.

Shaking himself from thoughts like those, mortified with himself, Levi shook his hand, thankful that no one commented on the way he had paused.

“I’m Armin,” he introduced himself as, and Eren put his arm around his shoulder, smiling down at Levi. He ignored the way he bristled at their contact. They’re tactile creatures, he reminded himself. They’re in a pack, they have bonds with each other, of course they’re close.

“This is my oldest childhood friend,” Eren explained proudly.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Levi said, fighting to keep his facial expression passive, but he must have let something slip as Eren tilted his head to the side and looked at him questionably, a slight frown on his face.

Armin, however, didn’t appear bothered, gesturing for them to follow him along.

“Come on, let’s take this into my office,” he said, even though Levi didn’t exactly see the point in going somewhere else for some perceived privacy when all the werewolves in the house would surely be able to hear what they were saying either way. All the same, he followed Armin down the hallway, Eren falling back to walk beside him and Mikasa closely behind them.

He had to stop himself from reaching out and touching Eren as a part of him tried to convince him that he needed to stake a claim, to make it clear that this was his alpha and no one else’s. Thankfully though, Eren walked close enough to brush their hands together and something feral in him calmed at the contact.

When they entered the office and Mikasa closed the door behind them, Levi felt somewhat surprised at the silence that fell over them, no longer able to hear the sound of the people still in the living room.

“We tend to soundproof our rooms since we otherwise wouldn’t get much privacy living in a pack,” Armin told him, obviously having seen his reaction.

“Makes sense,” Levi said thoughtfully. “You’d never be able to take a shit in peace otherwise.”

Eren made a sound like choking behind him and Armin looked momentarily taken aback before snorting, hiding his grin behind his hand.

“Yes, that’s true,” he said, leaning back against the desk standing in the middle of the room and looking at him with amusement playing in his eyes before turning more serious.

“This isn’t exactly something that we’re keeping from the pack, but we weren’t sure how comfortable you’d be talking about it in front of everyone.”

“I don’t have much to say exactly, considering I can’t remember anything,” Levi answered with a shrug.

“Yes, Eren already told us about that,” Armin said with a nod. “I’ve been trying to look into things but it was hard when I hadn’t even met you. Especially with Eren’s description of your scent, well… I can understand what he means now because I can’t place it either.”

 _More of the same then_ , Levi thought to himself.

“I don’t have access to the same equipment obviously as I would have if we were in a hospital, which makes things more difficult. I’ve read up on some studies though, and there has been several cases of people _presenting,_ I suppose you would call it, later on in their life.”

“Presenting?” Levi asked, and he didn’t even realise how tense he was until Eren put a hand on his lower back, making him relax.

“Yes, so people who thought they were human but then turned out to carry ancestry of some other being which got activated for some reason. Or people who had one human parent and the other being a succubus for example and they thought at first that the child was completely human, but then as a teenager, the child showed tendencies of instead being a succubus. It’s different from case to case. Sometimes it seems to happen for no known reason other than that it’s a natural progression, while other times it appears to be caused by some traumatic event,” Armin explained. “It was the only logical explanation I could seem to find for your situation.”

“I’m not a teenager,” Levi said, thoughts swirling in his head at the idea of never having been human at all. It seemed so farfetched that he had a hard time imagining it, but then there came those creeping thoughts about the fact that he never did know who his father was. It could have been anyone and who’s to say that he’d been human. His mother wasn’t around to tell him anymore, but even when she had been alive she’d refused to talk about it.

“Like I said, that was just one of the cases.”

“How likely is it?” Eren asked.

“Statistically, not very likely at all,” Armin answered him. “But as I said, it’s the only explanation I could find.”

He then turned his eyes back to Levi, a contemplating look on his face.

“The problem remaining, however, is that this explanation still wouldn’t tell us what you actually are and I’m afraid I don’t think I’ll be of much help here. I’ve told Eren already, that even if you don’t want to visit a hospital I think you need someone to examine you with the right equipment to be able to determine what’s going on with you. From your scent alone, I’ve got no idea. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologise,” Levi told him. It wasn’t as if he’d expected to come out of here with all the answers anyway.

“Thank you, Armin,” Eren said.

“Just wish I could be of more help,” he responded, before adding, “If you change your mind about the hospital thing, I could refer you to someone.”

“I’ll think about it.” He wondered if maybe it wouldn’t just be the easiest thing to do at this point. He might not know why he’d insisted on Eren not taking him there on the night that the werewolf first found him, but it felt like the only way to get answers. It could help unravel this whole thing and maybe that made it worth the risk of whatever bad thing his previous-self had thought would happen by going there. Maybe nothing would happen at all. He’d been suffering from blood loss at the time after all, so he couldn’t have been in the best state of mind. Either way, he didn’t see a reason to distrust Armin, so perhaps at least going to someone he had recommended would be a good idea.

“Levi, do you think maybe you could let me, Eren and Armin speak alone for a minute,” Mikasa said, and he snapped out of his thoughts to turn to her.

Before he could respond, however, Eren had already spoken up, sounding almost defensive.

“Why? We can talk in front of him.”

Levi sighed and put his hand on Eren’s arm.

“I don’t mind, don’t worry about it.”

He appeared to want to protest at first, but then his eyes met Mikasa’s and he gave in.

“Fine,” he relented, giving Levi a quick look seemingly to make sure that he was okay, and with a nod of reassurance, Levi left them be to allow Armin and Mikasa to be able to say whatever they wanted to say to Eren regarding him. He felt it was understandable that they had thoughts and opinions about it. He would have had some too if he’d been in their position. 

Walking back down the hallway again, he stopped at the living room where now two more people had joined in, both betas, one girl with brown hair and one guy with a buzzcut, and both looking at him excitingly as he walked into view.

“Ah, finally!” The girl announced, getting up from her seat and walking to greet him. “I’m Sasha!”

“Levi,” he said, shaking her hand.

“We all already know that,” she said with a laugh, walking back to sink down next to the other guy again, who raised his hand in a short wave.

“I’m Connie,” he said, staring at Levi with curiosity,

“Come on, sit down with us!” Sasha said enthusiastically, beaconing him to come over.

Levi surveyed the couch before deciding to sit down on the empty spot next to Jean, if he remembered the name correctly. The beta leaned towards him almost immediately, putting his arm on the backrest behind Levi and just barely brushing up against his neck. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he inhaled audibly, and Levi wondered if maybe he shouldn’t have tried to make room for himself on the other side instead.

“Jean.” Reiner said his name warningly.

The beta didn’t even spare the other male a glance as he kept his eyes locked on Levi, and Reiner gave a conceded sigh.

“You really do smell different,” Jean said, face close enough that Levi could feel his breath on him. “Not in a bad way, just hard to place,” he added, appearing thoughtful.

“Without Eren’s scent drowning you out, you’d even smell pretty good.”

“Is that so?” Levi drawled, feeling half amused, half annoyed by the whole thing.

“Yeah, actually –” But before he could say whatever it was he was going to say, they both reacted to the sudden sound of a vicious growl combined with the smell of _very angry alpha_ , and Levi was grabbed by the arm and more or less yanked away.

He could hear Sasha crying out after them as Eren dragged him out of the room.

“Hey, no, come one, he didn’t have time to tell us anything!” she said.

“Dammit, Jean.” Then he heard the sound of what he thought was a pillow getting thrown at someone followed by Jean’s muffled protests.

They passed Mikasa and Armin as Eren pulled him along down the hallway, but Eren didn’t spare them even a glance as he continued on, finally stopping to tug Levi in through an open door, where Levi jerked his arm free

“Okay, that’s enough, what the fuck –”

He was interrupted before he could finish by Eren lifting him and pressing him up against the wall, crashing their lips together, swallowing his words right up. Purely instinctively Levi wrapped his legs around Eren’s waist, and Eren took advantage of his shock to let his tongue invade Levi’s mouth. The sudden desire that shot through his body overwhelmed him and he couldn’t stop the moan from spilling out as Eren pressed his body against him, grinding their cocks together. He could feel Eren’s hardness through their jeans and his own cock were quickly starting to fill out in response to the pressure. It was all too fast and his mind had a hard time catching up to what was actually going on, a deep craving overtaking his thoughts as if simply saying _yes, give me more._

He gasped as Eren broke the kiss to instead drag his lips down his throat, sucking and biting, the teeth just short of actually breaking the skin. Turning his head to the side, Eren pressed his face into the crook of his neck, growling out words of possessiveness that Levi only caught snippets of, completely overcome by his own want. His hands were scrambling at Eren’s back, trying desperately to press him closer, all air feeling as if it was leaving his lungs as Eren thrust his hips forward.

 _What are you doing to me_ , he thought.

When Eren’s hand started wrestling with unbuttoning his jeans, Levi felt the urgency in his fumbling fingers reflected in his own body. He needed the contact, to have Eren against him fully.

“Okay, Eren, I think everyone’s got the point now, you can stop being so damn possessive. No one’s going to steal him from you.” Mikasa’s raised voice reached them from further down the hallway and Levi felt a lot like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over him. Eren had tensed against him, mouth still pressed again Levi’s skin, but making no move to let him down.

“Yeah, we don’t want to hear you fucking your boyfriend up against the wall, Jaeger! At least close the damn door!” Jean shouted mockingly.

Breathing heavily, Levi let his hands fall from where they were burrowed in Eren’s hair, pushing at his chest when Eren still didn’t release his grip on him. The hand cupping his ass gave one reluctant squeeze before letting him glide down until he was standing on his own again, and Levi had to use Eren to steady himself, his legs feeling shaky underneath him.

He couldn’t believe that he had gotten so swept up into his own desire that he’d completely forgotten about Eren’s pack. What was wrong with him?

Then he actually thought over Jean’s words about closing the door and realised that Eren indeed had left the door wide open behind them after dragging Levi inside the room. Looking up at Eren, whose pupils were blown and still seemed to be struggling to come back to himself, Levi wondered if he’d done it on purpose. If Eren had left it open because he had wanted the others to hear that he was staking a claim. Considering Mikasa’s comment, Levi thought that it was probably likely.

“What the fuck was that?” he asked accusingly, taking a step back to get some much-needed space between them.

“Sorry, I just – I didn’t like him touching you,” Eren said, averting his eyes.

Levi wanted to get mad, feeling embarrassed about the position that Eren had now put him in, in front of what was practically his family. It was hard to do though when he knew that he hadn’t exactly been a reluctant accomplice and was still feeling weak in the knees. Considering his earlier reaction to Armin, he also didn’t think he had much ground to stand on to argue about Eren overacting to nothing.

“He wasn’t actually touching me,” Levi responded, and Eren turned his eyes back to look at him.

“He was overstepping,” he said defensively. “He was leaning into you with his arm practically around you, even though he knew that you are mine.”

“Oh, is that so?” Levi said with raised brows, even as his heart started beating faster in his chest. “Yours?” He tasted the word on his lips as he said it. Eren had obviously said it before when caught up in the heat of the moment, but Levi still felt taken aback to hear him say it now so plainly, with no hesitation behind it.

“Yes,” Eren answered with conviction in his voice as he held Levi’s eyes. Shaking his head and looking away, Levi chose to disregard the way something in him sang at the declaration.

“Eren, we barely know each other, I’m not your anything, and I think we should probably leave now.”

Eren was quiet for a moment, and Levi could hear no other sound coming from the rest of the house either, and the knowledge that everyone was listening in on them made the whole thing a hundred times worse.

“Okay. Fine,” he said finally, and Levi had a hard time identifying Eren’s emotions through the flat tone of his voice.

As Eren walked in front of him out into the hallway again, Levi kept from looking at the other werewolves as they passed them, an awkward tension hanging in the air.

“We’ll talk later,” Eren said in lieu of a goodbye as they walked passed Mikasa, who in turn remained quiet. Levi wondered what she thought of him now, what type of impression he’d made on the pack. Probably not an especially good one.

They drove in silence back to the house and Levi felt equal parts regret about saying something in the first place as he was irritated at Eren for acting as if he had any right to be upset over it. When they eventually arrived and Eren parked the car, Levi was already expecting him to start talking.

“I like you,” he declared and Levi gave a deep sigh.

“Eren –”

“No,” he said, stopping him before he could continue and Levi turned to look at him, Eren’s eyes staring back at him with determination. “I know that you like me too. Your body reacts to me, you can’t deny wanting me.”

“That doesn’t have to mean anything,” Levi said, and he wasn’t sure if he was lying more to Eren or himself.

“Of course it does.”

“We’ve only known each other for under two weeks,” he tried to reason, but Eren hardly seemed to want to listen, instead leaning forward to grab his hand. 

“So? We can get to know each other better,” he said, and when Levi half-heartedly attempted to pull his hand away, Eren only held it tighter.

“I know that maybe for humans this would feel like we were moving quickly, but I’m not human and neither are you, and I knew from the first moment we met that we were compatible.”

“Compatible?” Levi snorted. “You’re really bringing on the dirty talk.”

Eren only squeezed his hand in response, looking at him earnestly, and Levi felt hot underneath his gaze.

“You could probably do a lot better than me you know,” he muttered, trying for another tactic, this time actually pulling his hand away, Eren’s now empty one clenching into a fist at the loss of it.

Returning his eyes back up, he was met by Eren looking at him as if he was speaking nonsense.

“You’re gorgeous,” he said, and Levi chose not to comment on how that wasn’t exactly what he meant, since he figured that Eren would probably simply disregard any such thing as well.

“Why are you trying to fight it?” Eren asked, eyes searching his and Levi only shook his head.

“I can’t – I need to go back home, you realise that don’t you? Before anything else, I need to figure out what’s going on.”

“Of course, I know that. I’m trying to help you,” Eren said, frustration clear in his tone and Levi felt slightly abashed because even though Eren maybe hadn’t shown enthusiasm towards the idea of taking him back to Sina, Levi knew that it came from a place of concern, and Eren had really been nothing but kind to him.

“No, you’re right. I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just too much, all of this.”

“Okay, I get that. Maybe I’ve pushed too much, I’m sorry,” Eren said, leaning towards him, into his space. “We can take it slow. I just want to be close to you, is all.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Levi said dryly, but he didn’t miss the hint of affection that sneaked its way into his voice. Neither it seemed did Eren, who gave him a soft smile.

As the werewolf started to raise his hand to lay it on Levi’s cheek, he could feel his skin already tingling in anticipation and he leaned away. He just needed to get his thoughts in order.

“Let’s just go inside,” he said.

Eren was quiet for a beat before answering.

“Okay.”

**o0o**

There was some hesitance between them as they awkwardly circled around each other for the rest of the afternoon. It was clear that Eren was giving him space and waiting for Levi to approach and seek closeness, refraining from doing it himself even though he wanted to. So it was first when Levi eventually brushed his hand against Eren’s lower back in passing, that the werewolf actually seemed to relax and the atmosphere turned more pleasant. Levi mostly just felt tired, and he didn’t think that he necessarily wanted to push Eren away, so he didn’t see the point in depriving himself of the thrill and excitement that he actually got from being close to the alpha. No matter how those feelings still made him uneasy to a certain extent.

As evening fell, Eren tugged him into his own room instead of the guest bedroom, and Levi let himself follow. The bed was softer and smelled more strongly of Eren, although it lacked the smell of them mixed together that permeated the other bed. He didn’t disregard the fact that the gesture probably meant that Eren wanted his scent here, in his most personal space, and it made something in Levi clench tightly.

The alpha curled around him, breathing him in, mouth pressed to the back of his neck as a brand and hand resting at his stomach, holding him close. It wasn’t hard to drift off to sleep, wrapped up in a safe embrace as he was.

His dreams started off peaceful, with Eren’s scent feeling like a protective cocoon around him, blanketing him, but slowly they twisted to turn darker and more sinister. He dreamt of an excruciating pain running through his body, feeling as though it wanted to devour him. Desperately needing relief but knowing that none would be offered to him, he curled up in a corner, teeth clenched together in a refusal to scream out his agony. When the pain turned unbearable and he knew that death was near, he woke up in a cold sweat. Heart pumping in his chest and adrenaline spiking, he forced himself to take big breaths to calm down. It was still in the middle of the night and Eren hadn’t stirred from his sleep where he was lying spread out beside Levi.

Unable to even think about going back to sleep with his mind and body strung as tight as a wire, he quietly got up from bed, taking care not to wake Eren. Putting on some clothes, he headed into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water, the liquid helping slightly to cool him down. Refilling it, he then he sank down at the kitchen table, trying to still his whirlwind mind. At this point, he had difficulty believing that they were only dreams, especially not after what had happened at the grocery store.

Levi was shocked out of his thoughts by the sound of a phone ringing and he raised his head until his eyes came to rest on lit-up display just across the table. It was Eren’s cell phone, and the words unknown caller was staring back at him.

His eyes flickered to the hallway as if expecting Eren to come walking, but he could hear him still sleeping in the bedroom, and a strange feeling washed over him as he looked back at the phone, wondering who might be calling at this hour. Tentatively, he reached across to grab it, finger pausing for a second over the answering button before he pressed down and brought the phone up to his ear.

“Hello?” His voice was wary as he spoke.

At first no one answered him, only heavy breathing coming from the other end, making him alert.

“Levi?” The voice was barely recognizable, lowered in a gravelly and rough whisper, but it was still unmistakable and Levi could feel his heart pounding in his ears at the sound of it. “Levi, is that you?”

“Furlan?” The name came out faint, his head feeling dizzy.

“Oh god, Levi, you need to help us,” Furlan begged, his voice coming out in a shaky breath.

Levi’s muscles spasmed as he tightly gripped the phone.

“Is Isabel there? Where are you?” The words came out rushed, panic in every syllable.

“Please,” Furlan said, the word nothing more than a sob, and then the line went quiet.

“Furlan?” No response. “Furlan? For fuck sake answer. Where are you? How the fuck did you get this phone number? Furlan!”

Nothing, only silence greeted him on the other end and he defeatedly dropped the phone back on the table, unable to barely breathe. Staring at the now blank display, he felt himself shake. What the fuck was happening. How –

He needed to leave, right now. Whatever was going on, Furlan and Isabel needed him and he had to help them. Even if he didn’t know where they were, he had to try. By going back to Sina he might find something to lead him to them. Or someone who knew where they were.

For the life of him, he couldn’t understand why or how Furlan had called Eren. It didn’t make sense, and for the first time in several days, Levi felt distrust creep back into his thoughts. Was Eren somehow involved? Had Levi really so completely misjudged the situation and trusted a man who was actually deceiving him? It didn’t matter, he told himself, dismissing the hurt he experienced at the thought. Eren wasn’t what was important right now. He needed to focus on finding his friends. His family.

With his adrenaline still spiking, he got up and grabbed Eren’s car keys. Pausing to make sure the werewolf was still asleep, Levi then opened the door and rushed out to the pickup-truck.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus scene (Commentary from inside the house after Levi and Eren left):  
> “Well that was uncomfortable” Jean commented drily as they listened to the car pulling out of the driveway. Mikasa turned to give him a pointed look in return and Jean sighed.  
> “Fine, I’ll shut up,” he said with a roll of his eyes.


	6. Defeated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, slow updates I know I know, sorry bout that (tbh, expect equally slow updates in the future). UNI started back up again and I was thrown straight into having to plan/write a pretty big essay and two exams and yeah… it’s just been a lot. With school, my motivation also went pretty much down the toilet and it's hard to write when you hate every word of it lmao

It was morning by the time that the city spread out in front of him, and it was with a strange feeling in his chest that Levi drove through the streets in Sina. The buildings towered up on either side and the city was already full of activity as people went about their usual days. It felt jarring, how everything was exactly like normal when his own life had derailed so completely and gone right down the fucking gutter.

He parked the car in one of the nicer areas, several blocks away from the apartment, not wanting to risk it getting stolen or vandalised in any way. After all, he wasn’t actually stealing it and had every intention of giving it back. That was to say, unless Eren turned out to actually be someone untrustworthy and somehow involved with everything. If that was the case, Levi would probably trash the car himself.

Either way, he refused to think too much about Eren as to not drive himself completely mad, even though he couldn’t help the feeling of guilt that crept its way into his head, no matter how much he attempted to ignore it.

Still unable to calm down, he ran down the streets leading towards his old home, the number of people he passed gradually growing fewer the closer he got. Slowing down to a walk he took in the familiar surroundings of the run-down houses and equally run-down people, who all watched him with a sort of caution. It was different here, everyone carrying a general distrust for strangers. For good reasons too. In these parts, you normally didn’t make it very long if you weren’t wary of others.

Rounding the corner, Levi continued onto the backstreet where the apartment was located. It felt equally like coming home as it felt completely foreign to him. Not much had changed around him, and with his lost memory he remembered it as only having been a couple of weeks ago since he’d been there last. Yet, with these changes in him, with everything he could now hear and smell, he was simply experiencing it in a different way. So maybe it wasn’t the fact that the place felt different, but more so that he wasn’t the same anymore.

The ground was scattered with litter and the outside of the houses around him were deteriorated, curtains drawn shut over windows or in some cases even nailed shut completely. Apart from some new graffiti, everything was much how he remembered it being. But now, there was also the more overwhelming smell of things like rotting garbage along with traces of people who lived there, the scent of human mixing in with that of the supernatural variety. Then accompanying that, there was also the sound of people moving inside of the walls around him that he could pick up, filling the quiet around him.

Walking up to the stairs leading up to the apartment which was situated on top of another, Levi hesitated slightly as he looked up at the place where he’d lived for the past few years of his life, feeling overcome by a sense of loss. Shaking himself of the sensation squeezing his chest, he then stepped onto the first step, when the sound of a voice caused him to halt where he stood.

“Levi?”

Turning around, he met the eyes of a man walking up towards him. It took a couple of seconds for Levi to recognise him, with his previously dark long hair now shaved down, several pounds thinner and with a bruise decorating his cheek.

“Jeez, I thought for sure that the three of you had gotten killed or something! You were just gone from one day to the next,” Lyle said, sounding shocked but with a smile on his face. Seemingly actually happy to see him. It made Levi feel somewhat taken aback, and also slightly bad, considering he hadn’t spared the other man any thought at all and he didn’t really consider them to be friends. To be fair, Levi knew that Lyle would occasionally spend some time with Furlan and Isabel, so maybe it was more so that the three of them had been friends and not Levi.

“Where did you guys go? You didn’t even say goodbye,” Lyle said, confusion in his tone but still light-hearted in his demeanour, the smile not leaving his face. “How’s Isabel doing?”

“I don’t know,” Levi replied, his voice clipped, sounding more hostile than he had intended it to, and he watched the smile on Lyle’s face slip slightly.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know where the fuck she is, okay,” Levi said harshly, and Lyle blinked at him. Leaning forward into his space, Levi then narrowed his eyes at him.

“Did you see anything the day that we disappeared? Or hear anyone talking about it who might know something?”

Lyle took a step back, seeming uncertain.

“Well you know how it is, no one sees anything around here,” he shrugged, frown on his face as he continued, “Sorry but, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know, that’s the fucking problem. I can’t remember shit,” Levi snapped, the anger more directed towards himself than anything.

“You mean something actually did happen then, when you left?” Lyle asked, his brows knitted together before looking at Levi with widened eyes. “Did someone drug you?”

“Drug me?”

“Well, you’re memory, you said –”

“I don’t fucking know, maybe,” Levi interrupted him, starting to feel annoyed at the hold up. He needed to keep going. “If you don’t know anything then just fucking stay out of it.”

“But –”

Lyle stopped himself as Levi turned to leave and began walking up the creaking steps, effectively dismissing him.

“What are you doing?” Lyle asked, sounding befuddled, and Levi turned around to face him again, eyebrows raised.

“I’m going to my apartment.”

“It’s not really yours anymore, actually,” Lyle said haltingly, “and the dude that lives there now is some kind of drug dealing vampire, so I wouldn’t go near it if I wear you.”

Levi considered this for a second before deciding that he really didn’t give a shit and simply rolled his eyes, opting to ignore Lyle and keep walking.

“He might kill you,” Lyle called out after him, and when Levi still didn’t offer a reply, he heard Lyle give a defeated sigh from down below.

Not even hesitating for a moment as he reached the top, Levi raised his fist and banged it against the door. When there wasn’t any answer and he couldn’t hear anything of note from inside, he knocked again, louder and more insistent this time. If no one opened he’d just fucking break in, he told himself.

Yet, just as he’d had that thought, he could hear muffled voices from inside, followed by footsteps walking towards his direction. Levi then barely had time to step back as to avoid being hit as the lock clicked and the door was flung wide open.

The woman standing in the entryway was tall, hair light enough that it appeared almost white and ice blue eyes that stood out against her pale skin. Her beauty, however, was lessened by the dark circled underneath her eyes, worn-out clothes hanging awkwardly too big on her underweight frame and dried out blood on her neck covering the barely visible bite mark.

“You’re not a vampire,” Levi stated, trying to look past her into the apartment but not seeing any movements from anyone else inside.

“Yeah, jeez I wonder why the vampire didn’t want to open the door for you,” she said sarcastically, looking pointedly up at the sky were the sun was on bright display.

“Right,” Levi said, realising his mistake.

“Well, what do you want then?” she asked, tone annoyed and arms crossed in a clear show of dislike.

“I need to go inside,” he said, being rather curt in his response.

She stared at him for a few seconds, unmoving where she stood, before simply shaking her head once and making a sound of amusement.

“That’s a no, anything else?”

Levi, who could feel himself growing more impatient for every passing second, only narrowed his eyes at her.

“I’m not taking no for an answer,” he said, not hesitating to push past her into the hallway of the apartment.

“Hey!” she exclaimed irritated. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing –”

But before she could finish her sentence, another voice interrupted her from the shadows in far end of the hallway.

“Ava, it’s okay, I’ll handle it from here. Close the door please.” The voice was even, not cold exactly but emotionless in a way that immediately put Levi on edge. Then he realised that he hadn’t heard this person move at all, nor could he hear him even now as the man had once again fallen silent. There was no sound of shifting fabric, of air leaving his lungs or of a heart beating in his chest. The stillness of vampires really was a disturbing thing to witness, their inhumanity so bluntly visible. Most made an effort to at least appear human for this very reason, but this one obviously didn’t feel like bothering.

The woman – Ava – did as she was told without a further word and shut the door, plunging the room into complete darkness, before she flicked on a switch that made the apartment bathe in artificial light. As she did, the vampire moved out into the open space, stopping in front of Levi and looking down at him in some detached interest. His dark skin was pale, having lost all of its previous warmth and vibrancy, and although the eyes were still their original dark brown colour, they now held something predatory within them that had Levi wanting to take a step back out of pure instinct.

“And who might you be then?” The vampire asked, head slightly tilted as he studied Levi. “And what are you doing in my apartment?”

Skin bristling at even the thought of this place belonging to anyone else other than him, Isabel and Furlan, Levi scowled at him.

“It used to be mine actually,” he said.

The vampire stood in silence for several seconds, gazing down at him without blinking, before offering him an amused smile.

“Sorry, I thought you were going to elaborate a bit more on that.”

Levi glared back at him.

“I need to have a look around,” he said, straight to the point.

“And for what reason is that?” The vampire asked, brows raised in mock curiosity.

“Because I just do.”

The vampire’s good humour seemed to disappear from one second to the next, with a lightning-quick movement grabbing Levi by the throat and pushing him into the nearby wall, the force of it accidentally knocking over a lamp from a nearby table which fell to the floor in a dull thud.

“Do not think that you can come into my home and boss me around,” he warned, voice lowered into a hiss and his fangs only inches from Levi’s face. “You should be grateful I have been kind so far.”

“And you should be grateful I haven’t kicked you out of what should be _my home_ ,” Levi spat, too angry to even be scared. Some part of him wanted to fight, wanted the vampire to give him a reason to.

But then, to his surprise, instead of trying to tear his throat out, the vampire simply laughed in disbelief, letting him go and taking a step back.

“You’re feisty, I’ll give you that,” he said with glee.

Then he turned and walked over to sink down on to the couch, apparently not even hesitating to turn his back to Levi. A statement of superiority that made Levi clench his jaw in irritation.

“I’ll tell you what,” the vampire drawled, sounding almost bored. “I’m not actually particularly in the mood for killing someone right now, so I’m going to let your rude behaviour slide, and if you tell me exactly why, I’ll even let you have a _look around_ , as you called it”

Levi paused and considered him, before deciding that no matter how much he wanted to punch the vampire in the face, a peaceful solution was probably for the best.

“My friends, who lived in this apartment with me before, they’re missing and have been for eight months. I don’t know where they are, and I don’t know what happened because I can’t remember shit, but last night one of them called me and begged for help. The call broke before I could find anything else out and this place is the only thing I have to go on.” His expression was straight-faced as he spoke, voice emotionless and flat.

The vampire looked at him for several seconds after he’d finished before tilting his head slightly and gesturing with his hand in a sweeping gesture for Levi to go right ahead and search the place. He hesitated slightly before with careful movements turning to actually take in his surroundings for the first time since stepping inside, although still making sure to keep a constant watchful eye on the vampire in his peripheral.

It was undoubtfully more dirty than when Levi had lived there. A collection of things, such as clothes and bottles, were strewn all over the floor, along with a large dark stain on the floorboards which he suspected was old dried up blood. Other than that, it was the simple changes that one could expect, such as the different furniture and their placement in the apartment. It was so clearly someone else’s apartment now and Levi mourned the loss of it. The place was small and rundown, but it had been theirs, and that had been enough.

Not sure at all what to really search for, Levi left the living room and headed towards the bedrooms instead. They’d had a secret hiding place in one of the vents in what had used to be Levi’s room, but as he suspected when he went to look, it had already been emptied out. They’d mainly kept money there though, so it probably wouldn’t have helped him either way.

Frustrated, he went into the bathroom instead, looking behind the toilet, but as he thought that place too was now empty.

“I may not be a relatively young vampire, but I’ve still lived for over 70 years, and I can’t say that I’ve ever come across someone like you before. What exactly are you?”

Levi jerked at the sound of the vampire’s drawling voice, not having heard him move at all and now looking up to find him standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame and watching him curiously.

“Doesn’t really concern you,” Levi said dismissingly. He wondered if this was just the type of interaction that he would have with anyone non-human going forward. Them wondering what he was and him telling them to kindly piss off.

“No, but it interests me,” the vampire responded, and then, as Levi turned to look in the shower, he could feel how someone was suddenly standing just inches behind his back. Having expected it, he elbowed the vampire in the chest before turning and pushing him away, making him hit the sink hard enough that he heard something crack. The man only smirked at him.

“What are you even looking for?”

Levi sent him a poisonous look before leaving the bathroom and heading into the final bedroom, which Isabel and Farlan had used to shared.

“Something left behind, I don’t even know,” he answered frustrated, as he was aware of the vampire following him closely behind.

“We emptied the place out, you won’t find anything.”

Feeling a sudden exhaustion grab him he stopped in the middle of the room. There was a large king sized bed there now, taking up most of the space, and the whole space reeked of sex and blood.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do then?” he asked defeatedly.

“Is that a rhetorical question or are you asking me for advice?” The vampire asked and Levi spun around to shoot him an annoyed look, refraining from offering a reply.

Letting his eyes sweep over the room once more, Levi tried to admit to himself that he wouldn’t find any answers to his questions in this place.

“When I first took over this apartment, I heard some people talking about it.”

With a questioning frown, Levi turned back to look at the vampire.

“Didn’t really care so it wasn’t something I went out to investigate, but I couldn’t help overhearing the gossip I suppose,” the vampire said, pausing to make sure he had all of Levi’s attention before he continued, “Someone said that they’d heard a woman screaming, followed by a car driving away. Maybe that’s of interest to you.”

“Isabel,” Levi breathed.

“I can’t guarantee that it’s true, of course,” he said, given a shrug of his shoulders in a very human gesture.

“Who was it?” Levi pressed, urgency in his voice.

“As I said, didn’t exactly care to investigate.”

Levi cursed out loud, feeling completely helpless in the situation.

“Piece of advice though,” the vampire added, “the likelihood of you being able to find your friends alive are probably small, all things considered. I’d cut my losses if I were you.”

Levi stared at him, anger rising within him.

“You stink of wolf. You should return home to your lover boy.”

If it wasn’t for the fact that Levi found things like that disgusting, he would have spat at the vampire’s feet.

“Fuck you,” he said instead, pushing past the vampire and going back out to the living room area where the woman had taken a seat in one of the chairs and was watching him warily.

“Your choice.” He heard the vampire call out after him just before he slammed the door to the apartment shut after him.

Breathing furiously, he hurried down the stairs, feeling an urgent need to put space in between himself and that place. His first thought, after his anger had mostly faded, was that he should try and find this person that the vampire had mentioned, who might have been a witness to what had happened that night. It didn’t take many seconds after he had had that thought, however, that he realised how absolutely futile such an idea actually was. It could have been anyone, they didn’t even necessarily need to live in this place anymore. And whoever it was, he doubted that they would easily open up and talk to a complete stranger, if they even remembered at all at this point, so many months later.

Thinking back on the vampire’s words of Furlan and Isabel already being dead, Levi could feel his thoughts starting to twist in panic and he sank down to the ground, not even caring about how dirty it probably was. With his breathing starting to come in faster and hands almost shaking, he tried to calm down. Frustrated, he told himself that he couldn’t allow those thoughts to consume him, that he had to keep looking. So taking a couple of deep breathes, he pulled himself together and forced his body to get up from the ground again.

Just as he stood up, his eyes locked in on a figure suddenly coming around the corner and he was taken aback in shock as he realised that it was Eren, practically marching towards Levi with anger written all over him, palpable in every step he took.

“Eren,” he said as the man got closer, eyes wide as he wondered how exactly Eren had managed to find him.

The alpha didn’t offer much of a reply in return, nor a greeting, as he simply pushed Levi against the wall, hands fisted in his sweater and breathing unevenly.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” Eren fumed, giving Levi a small shake as if that would get him his answer faster.

“Hey –”

But Eren wasn’t giving him a chance to speak, too wound up to listen to what Levi had to say.

“I was a bit disorientated when I woke up to the sound of my car driving away, but it didn’t take me long to realise that you were gone with it. Had to contact Mikasa so I could borrow her car, and then convince her to let me go alone so I could fucking come here and find you on my own. Honestly Levi, what the fuck? You just steal my car and head off in the middle of the night?” His eyes had something wild in them as he spoke.

“Fuck you,” Levi snarled, pushing him away and Eren stumbled back, seemingly not having expected the aggression.

“ _You’re_ mad at _me_?” he seethed, betrayal burning anew in his veins. “I know that Furlan fucking called you, okay? I picked up the phone while you were sleeping.”

He stared Eren down, demanding an answer, while also terrified to possibly be faced with the truth of Eren’s lies, and he saw how the alpha’s fury wavered.

“How the fuck do you explain that, huh? How did he have your number?” Levi pressed on.

“Levi, I honestly don’t have any idea what you’re talking about,” Eren said, defensive and still anger in his tone, but now giving away to confusion.

“Don’t play dumb,” Levi spat, but for every passing second Eren only looked more concerned than anything, almost hesitant.

“Levi, I’m not a deep enough sleeper that I wouldn’t wake up if my phone was ringing in the middle of the night,” he said and Levi narrowed his eyes at him.

“Well, you did.”

“Okay,” Eren said placatingly, before then reaching down into his pocket and taking out his phone. Regarding him cautiously, Levi leaned forward to look as Eren showed him the display of the call history on it. The two most recent calls were with Mikasa, and the one before those were from Armin two days earlier. There was nothing about a call from an unknown number in the middle of the night and Levi took a step back in confusion.

“But I spoke to him,” he said, refusing to accept what Eren was telling him. “For all I know you could have deleted it from your call history.”

Eren just shook his head.

“Levi, I haven’t deleted anything. I didn’t even know about it until now so why would I have?”

His gaze had softened from its previous anger, now only full of worry as the alpha took a few steps forward to close the distance between them, careful in his approach as if he thought he’d scare Levi away if he moved too fast. And Levi, god help him, didn’t think that the werewolf was lying. With sincerity in his voice, heartbeat not stuttering for even a second and eyes looking at him almost pleadingly, Levi couldn’t detect any hints of Eren speaking anything but the truth.

“It’s okay,” Eren said.

“It’s not fucking okay,” Levi said, batting away the hand trying to comfort him. “None of this is fucking okay.”

He could feel himself spiralling.

“So what, I fucking imagined it?” he asked, disbelievingly. “That’s just great, I’m fucking losing my mind.”

“Levi.“

He didn’t push Eren away this time as he embraced him, feeling much like he was falling apart in the comforting feeling of the alpha’s arms around him once more.

“Sorry about running out,” he murmured, after a few minutes of silence.

“No, I’m sorry about getting so mad,” Eren said, pressing Levi even closer against his chest and nose burrowed in his hair. “I was mostly worried honestly. I couldn’t stand the thought of you just leaving like that.”

“It’s fine. I did steal your car I guess, I’d be mad too,” Levi said, his voice muffled as his lips were pressed against Eren’s body. “Was planning to give it back though, so it was more like borrowing.”

Eren huffed against his hair.

“I forgive you.”

They had a few more moments of closeness until they eventually detangled from one another, although Eren’s hand stayed a reassuring weight at his lower back.

“Did you go back to your old apartment then?” he asked hesitatingly, the air between them still feeling somewhat fragile.

Levi gave a short nod and gestured towards the building he’d left just a short while previous.

“It’s the apartment at the top. Some vampire fucker lives there now,” he said.

“And you went in alone?” Eren asked, sounding alarmed at the idea and Levi rolled his eyes at him, even as something inside of him warmed.

“I survived, obviously, no need to worry after the fact,” he replied. “He told me something though. He’d overheard some people talking when he’d first got here and someone had said that they’d heard a woman scream the night the three of us disappeared.”

“You think it’s Isabel then?” Eren had a worried frown on his face as he looked down at Levi.

“Probably.” The dread of the two of them already being dead started to sneak back in and he tried to push it away.

“Hey, I’ll help you find them, you can trust me,” Eren told him, eyes burning with something fierce. “Don’t start imagining the worst yet. I mean, you’re alive, and they haven’t been missing much longer than you were, there’s still a chance that they are too.”

Levi let Eren’s words of comfort wash over him and calm the storm raging within.

“Thank you,” he said quietly. He wasn’t usually comfortable with leaning on others for support, but he felt relief at having Eren at his side.

“Want to get something to eat? It’s practically lunchtime” Eren said. “We can come back after and try to do some more digging.”

Levi felt exhausted and simply nodded.

“Sure.”

**o0o**

They ended up going to a small burger joint a few blocks away that Levi occasionally used to frequent with Furlan and Isabel, and the food tasted just as mediocre as he remembered it. It was a small, hole in the wall place, but mostly clean at least, which was an important criterion for any place Levi dignified to step into.

“This tastes pretty good,” Eren said, as if afraid to offend Levi and a possible place he liked to visit, and Levi gave a sound of amusement.

“It isn’t really the place to go if you’re looking for high-class cuisine, but it’s eatable at least,” he offered in reply.

“Why would you go here if you didn’t actually like the food?” Eren asked, popping one of the now cold fries into his mouth.

“I don’t know, Furlan and Isabel liked it for some stupid reason I guess,” he said with a shrug and Eren’s eyes softened.

“I hope I get to meet them,” he said.

“Yeah,” Levi said, looking away to the side and changing the topic, “Mikasa hates me now then?”

“Of course not!” Eren exclaimed, eyes wide. Levi simply raised his brows at the alpha.

“She wasn’t exactly happy maybe,” he admitted, before hurrying to add, “But that doesn’t mean she hates you! And I’ll talk to her and explain, she won’t hold it against you.”

Levi wondered at that. He couldn’t claim to know her very well, but she seemed protective of Eren and not the type of person to easily forget. Levi guessed that he wasn’t exactly in her good books right now.

“Doesn’t matter, I’m disliked by many people,” he said with a shrug.

“I like you,” Eren said, smiling at him and Levi huffed in amusement.

“Yeah, you’ve already told me that before.”

“Doesn’t hurt to remind you, in case you forgot.”

Levi stared at him for a few seconds before shaking his head and looking down to hide his smile.

“Finish your food and then we can go,” he said.

He caught Eren up in a bit more detail on everything as they ate the last of their burgers and fries, before they then walked back to the apartment. There was unsurprisingly, but nevertheless disappointingly, nothing for them there to find. Wandering the nearby areas, any traces that could explain their disappearing act, if ever having existed, were long since gone. Levi knew it had been a useless endeavour from the start, but he still couldn’t make himself give up. It was first as the afternoon started drawing to a close and the sun slowly travelling lower down on the sky that Eren tentatively asked him if they shouldn’t head back home.

 _Home._ As if Eren’s place was his own. As if it was theirs together.

“I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, which wasn’t really what he’d meant to say, but it came out anyway. His complete sense of hopelessness.

“We’ll figure it out somehow,” Eren promised him, and it was strange how such an empty promise still comforted him to some extent.

Wrapping him up into a hug, Eren stroked his hair and even dragged his wrist against the side of Levi’s throat in a display of scent marking that spoke just as much of his affection as any words ever could. But in the middle of being lost in the scent of his alpha, Levi was harshly thrown back into reality as Eren suddenly jerked forward.

“What was – “ But Eren’s words got lost as he slumped forward, Levi having to hold up his heavy weight as he saw the alphas eyelids drop lower.

“Eren?” he said, trying to shake him but not getting any response.

With alarm bells going off in his head, he only just managed to see the tiny dart sticking out from Eren’s neck and the three men standing a bit behind them before he felt something pierce his skin at the side of his throat.

Snarling, he quickly yanked the dart out and threw it aside, but it was obviously too late as he almost immediately after could feel himself stumbling back as a sudden fog swept over his mind. Another few seconds later and he could no longer manage to keep either Eren or himself upright and he fell to the ground, Eren still cradled in his arms.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: When I started working on this story I fully considered making Eren a full-blown psychopath that actually was deceiving/had kidnapped Levi, just cause I love those dark twisted stories sometimes. In the end though I decided to spare my obsessed/dark!Eren for if I ever get around to writing my demon!Eren story


	7. Trapped

Levi was blinded by bright lights as he blinked awake. Disoriented and with a throbbing headache he squeezed them shut again with a groan.

“Ah, you’re awake.” The voice left him confused. He tried to squint to look around for the source of it and take in his surroundings, and slowly but surely he could manage to make out the outlines of the room he was in. It was white and sterile looking, and it didn’t take him long to discern that it looked like some type of examination room. For a short second, Levi had the thought that he’d somehow ended up in a hospital, before he then attempted to move his arm and came to the paralyzing realisation that he was restrained with some type of metal cuffs. There was even one fastened around his throat to stop him from being able to raise his head, although he was still given enough room to be able to turn his head to the sides.

Panic started to rise within him and he began to violently try to jerk free from his restraints, even though it was clear that the metal cuffs would not budge even an inch.

“Calm down now.” The person spoke again, pressing a hand to his chest and Levi twisted his head to finally be able to see them.

She was wearing a long white robe, her brown hair gathered into a ponytail and a pair of glasses covering her eyes as she gazed down at him. As he stopped moving, she removed her hand from his chest and leaned against the cabinets at the side with a great heavy sigh.

“Have to say that I didn’t expect to see you back here,” she said, shaking her head at him. “I mean honestly, Levi. What’s the use of escaping if you’re just going to let yourself be caught again.”

He froze, feeling something in him breaking at her words. It was strange how you could go so long trying your hardest to remember something, when in the end it was something as small as a comment which had everything coming back to you.

“Hange?” He spoke her name hesitantly, feeling dread settle into his bones. “Oh fuck,” he added, as the full scope of the situation actually caught up with him. His heartbeat was deafening in his ears as he struggled to hold himself back from going into a full-blown panic attack as his memories rushed back over him like a tidal wave and threatened to swallow him whole.

“Oh fuck, indeed,” she said with a laugh, even though it sounded rather hollow and humourless. “I risked my life getting you out of here, you know. Could have ruined everything too and I still did it.”

Levi was barely listening to her, caught in the onslaught of memories suddenly filling his mind. He remembered the night when he, Furlan and Isabel had been attacked and taken to this place. He remembered how he’d woken up in a much similar situation as he was in now, only instead faced with the familiar face of his uncle staring down at him in some type of surprised amusement. How his uncle, who Levi hadn’t seen since he was nine, had called it a happy coincident that it had been him and his friends who his men had brought back when he’d asked for new subjects. How he hoped Levi wouldn’t hold a grudge against him for what he was about to do, and that if he was lucky, Levi would come away from this as a changed man.

Back then, Levi hadn’t known that Kenny had been talking about an actual physical change, but by the time he woke up in his cell with a fever and a desperate need to puke, he’d already started to suspect that something was going on.

Isabel hadn’t even lasted a month, and he’d had to watch her die in the cell opposite of his, unable to do anything. Had watched her body break down from the changes being made to it that it couldn’t handle, her organs collapsing one after another and her not able to breathe, pleading eyes watching him as though he’d be able to help. Her body hadn’t even been removed until the next day, and Levi remembered listening to Furlan’s crying as he sat on the floor and stared into her empty eyes.

It had taken another month for him to lose Furlan too, and Levi remembered listening to him beg in his final moments, and the utter helplessness of it all. He’d been in the cell next to his so Levi hadn’t even been able to see, only listen as his friend drew his final shaky breathes. Then came the loneliness, when he was the last of them alive. He came to understand that most of the people brought to this place died early on and that he was one of the lucky few who the _treatment_ didn’t end up killing. A part of him would like to say that it was because Kenny wanted him alive, but he knew that was bullshit and that his uncle really wouldn’t care one way or the other, although he was definitely delighted by Levi’s perseverance.

Levi remembered the many times it had felt as if he’d been on the threshold of death, and how he’d wanted to simply let go, but instead continued to cling to life with the promise to himself that he’d make it out of this hellhole and find Kenny and bash his head in.

Although, only because he’d survived didn’t mean that he hadn’t suffered, and he remembered the unbearable pain that he’d been put through time and time again, combined with the strange feeling of turning into someone other than yourself. The changes that came when the experiments turned out to actually be successful were confusing and left you trapped in a body no longer your own. Levi remembered when he’d woken up in his cell after one of those experiments and suddenly been overwhelmed by the deafening sound of everything around him. He’d stayed curled up in the corner of his cell with his hands covering his ears for two days before he’d learned to handle it better.

He’d met Hange quite some time after Furlan had died, probably a couple of months at least, although it was hard to keep track of time when you were trapped in a dark underground area without windows and you spent the majority of your time either being experimented on or dealing with the aftereffects of said experiments. She’d been cold and clinical in her approach at first, but Levi was observant and he noticed the struggle in her eyes and the way she sometimes clenched her fists as Kenny proclaimed that yet another experiment had gone awry.

He had started to talk to her when he could, during those times he was taken to her for examination. She had been hesitant to respond in the beginning, but had slowly started to open up more over time. At first his idea had been to manipulate her, get her to lower her guard and be able to escape, but then she shocked him one day by telling him that she was going to help him get out of there. She added that it was a very risky idea but that she feared Levi wouldn’t be able to make it very much longer, and that Kenny had a dangerous procedure planned in the coming month for him that she doubted he’d survive. On top of that, she’d shocked him even more when she told him that she was gathering evidence so that she would be able to go to the police. Apparently Kenny had contacts everywhere and there was a risk of corruption or someone warning him in time to get away so she didn’t dare contact the police without complete proof and without complete certainty that she was handing it over to someone trustworthy.

After that, all he’d been able to do was wait and leave it to Hange to figure out the when’s and how’s of the plan. He still hadn’t trusted her, but when the day came there had been no deception and she’d managed to successfully get him freed.

Levi remembered the relief of stepping outside for the first time in what felt like forever, followed by him almost getting caught just as he was about to drive out of there. He’d managed to kill the man despite his fatigue, but the wound that the man had managed to inflict on him left him weak and even though he’d tried to drive as far away as possible, after a while he could barely see the road in front of him and was forced to pull over, practically falling out of the driver’s seat and onto the concrete. And then, for the first time since he’d woken up, Levi’s thoughts turned to the alpha who had saved him on the night of his escape.

“Eren,” he breathed. “Where’s Eren?”

“If you mean the werewolf they brought in with you, I don’t know,” Hange said, sounding almost apologetic. “Kenny wanted to deal with him himself.” She added the last part rather hesitatingly, as if reluctant to share the information with him. Which was understandable, considering Kenny was cruel and took joy in breaking others down to feel powerful. Levi felt panic rise in him at the idea of Eren now being at his mercy.

“No,” he said. “You need to release me, I have to go help him.”

“I can’t do that Levi.”

“Fuck off you can’t,” he snarled at her, trying to dislodge his restraints again even though he already knew that it was useless. “ _Kenny might kill him_.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t do me any good,” Levi growled, baring his teeth at her. “Let me go. I’m not fucking losing anyone else to that son of a bitch.”

“Levi, please,” Hange said, trying to be placating. “You know that I would if I could, but it’s not that simple.”

Levi was about to retort again, because releasing him _sure as hell was that simple_ , when Hange continued speaking.

“Kenny knows that someone helped you escape and he’s been suspicions of everyone. If I let you go right now I’ll blow my cover, probably get killed and unable to bring this fucker down. It was a risky move the first time around and I can’t do it again. It isn’t only you trapped down here you know.”

He knew she was right, but he still couldn’t make himself fully care. All he knew was that he needed to save Eren, and that was all that really mattered. Maybe it was horrible of him to be willing to risk the life of someone who’d helped him escape once before, and not care about the other people also trapped and suffering, but he’d never claimed to be a good person.

“It’s my fault if he dies, I can’t let that happen,” he said, almost pleading with her to let him go at this point. Hange looked at him regretfully and gave a sigh.

“The most I can do is maybe try to find out what’s going on with him and bring you an update,” she offered. “Although I can’t promise anything.”

Levi felt defeated as he laid back and just stared up into the ceiling. He knew that was the best he was going to get.

“Do you know what he’s going to do with me?” he asked her, a question he wasn’t even sure he wanted the answer to. Whatever the plans were for Eren, what Kenny had thought out for him could only be much worse.

Hange didn’t reply, but her silence was still very much an answer in and of itself.

“Listen, there is still good news,” she told him reassuringly and Levi turned to face her again. “I’ve spoken with a chief of police that I think is trustworthy and I have a meeting set up to deliver information to him tomorrow. If you manage to hold out, chances are they’re going to storm the place within the next few days.”

Levi fell quiet for a moment, thinking this over and feeling a sense of hope being born within him.

“And Kenny doesn’t know?” he asked.

“I sure hope not,” Hange said. “But Levi – “ Only before she could say anything else, the door was suddenly opened. Levi couldn’t see who it was, and for a heart-stopping minute he thought it might be Kenny, before the man at the doorway spoke and it turned out to be an unfamiliar voice.

“If you’re done with the examination, the boss told me to bring him to his cell,” the man said, and Hange simply nodded in reply, a practised mask now settled over her features.

Levi forced himself not to lash out and put up a fight as the muscled man unlocked his restraints, taking a firm hold of his arm and beginning to push Levi in front of him out of the examination room. With the aftereffects of the drugs still in his system, he doubted that he would be able to make it very far after taking the man down either way.

So he let himself be taken down the familiar pathways, a claustrophobic feeling consuming him at being back down in this place after actually having managed to get out once before. He couldn’t believe that he’d let himself forget in the first place. If he hadn’t lost his memories he would have been able to stay the hell away and keep Eren out of it.

But of course, not much was fair in life. He’d learned that early on.

As they got to the section where the cells were kept, Levi kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, not glancing even once at the people behind bars that they passed. He could register shock in the scent of some of them, but no one called out or tried to talk to him, although they undoubtfully recognised him. Not even as the guard pushed him into his cell, _his old cell,_ and then left, did anyone speak up. But Levi didn’t really expect them to. He always kept his gaze averted if he could, so he didn’t even know most of their faces, and he was sure it was much the same for the others. It was simply easier, not to get attached. Even the people who tried to form bonds with others learned that the hard way eventually.

When he took the first step back into the cell, he felt disgust creep through him and he stood frozen to the floor, not wanting to move a single step further inside. It didn’t smell like anyone else which meant that it had stood empty after he’d left, almost as if it’d been waiting for his return. Levi was sure Kenny had put him back there for that very reason. To make him feel defeated and powerless. It was all very purposely to create a clear statement of Levi being unable to escape him, he was sure.

But he wasn’t going to allow Kenny to get to him, and so Levi made himself breathe deeply to calm down and ignored all of the bad memories that were suddenly pushing down on him. Refusing to look over at the opposite cell that had once been Isabel’s, he instead took measured steps and walked over to lie down on the bed in the corner. It was the only furniture in the small space, and the mattress was hard, no pillow or duvet to make it more comfortable. It was something he’d gotten used to after a while, even grateful that at least there was a damn bed at all, but after sleeping comfortably for several days it wasn’t fun to return to.

The only thing he could do now was to try to rest and save his energy. There was no point in breaking down, and so Levi gazed up into the ceiling, counting all the cracks to have something to occupy his mind as he tried to listen for anyone approaching.

It must have been several hours by the time he could finally hear the sound of footsteps walking down the corridor. He already knew who it was when the person stopped in front of his cell, the scent of him making Levi want to growl in fury.

“Aren’t you even going to greet me?” Kenny asked him, cruel amusement obvious in his tone.

Levi didn’t dignify the question with a response, fighting to keep his breathing even as the anger rose within him. He refused to give Kenny the reaction that he was hoping to provoke from him.

“Come on now, don’t tell me you’re sulking.”

Slowly and with restrained movements, Levi sat up on the bed, facing Kenny and looking at him with deadly eyes. He looked just the same as when Levi had seen him last, except maybe his stubble having grown a bit longer into something now more resembling a beard.

“There’s that fighting spirit!” Kenny proclaimed, a sort of sadistic smirk on his face. Levi wanted to punch it straight off.

“What have you done to him?” he demanded to know, ignoring the comment.

Kenny’s smirk only grew wider.

“I assume you’re talking about the werewolf?” he asked, feigning innocent.

“No, I must mean someone else,” Levi snapped, words dripping with angry sarcasm.

Kenny’s smirk dropped slightly as he took a step closer to the bars.

“Now Levi, I would think twice about being rude if I were you.”

“You can go and fuck yourself in the ass with a cactus,” Levi replied, absolutely seething. So much for not giving a reaction, he thought, as he tried to make himself calm down again, his claws digging and tearing into the mattress as he forced himself to stay seated.

Kenny only huffed out a laugh.

“Ah yes, how I’ve missed your ever so creative insults,” he said and Levi bared his teeth at him in a snarl, before reigning himself in again. It was hard to keep calm when every fibre in his being wanted to tear Kenny’s head off and fucking stamp on it until it was reduced to nothing more than bloody goo. Which was a gruesome but satisfying image in his head.

“What have you done to him?” he repeated, voice as cold as ice.

“It’s not really something that you need to concern yourself with,” Kenny said, obviously getting some sick enjoyment out of his misery.

“At least not for now,” he added, almost as an afterthought, and Levi glared at him.

“If you kill him, I swear to god,”

“You’ll what?” Kenny asked amused. “If you think you’ll be getting out of here a second time then you are very much mistaken. Afraid that this is the end of the line for you.”

Levi didn’t reply, told himself that it wasn’t worth it. Kenny wanted him to get angry, and however much he wanted to kill that bastard, there was nothing he could do for the moment.

“You know I’m curious though, why did you even go back to Sina? My men had been staking out the place just in case, but I didn’t actually think you’d be dumb enough to turn up.” Kenny gave a small laugh at that and Levi fought to keep his expression neutral, remaining silent.

“Don’t tell me then,” Kenny said, seemingly unperturbed when Levi still refused to speak after several seconds. “Doesn’t matter now either way.”

Then he heaved a great big sigh as if he found the whole situation rather boring and glanced down the hallway, away from Levi.

“Well, this has been a nice chat, but places to be and all that,” he said, voice almost taunting, before with a last condescending smile at Levi, turning to walk back the same way that he’d come. Levi watched him go with a sick feeling in his stomach when he thought about what Kenny might possibly have planned, not only for him, but also for Eren.

**o0o**

After that, Levi was left alone for far longer than he thought he’d be. He’d expected that Kenny wouldn’t hesitate to take out his revenge and punish him for the escape. Had expected to perhaps be tortured, or maybe even straight-up killed. Yet, instead of any of that happening, Levi was simply left alone in his cell, waiting for something to happen. It almost felt worse, in many ways. An ominous feeling gathering within him as he went over every possible scenario he could think of in his head of what Kenny might do to them.

Mostly he was scared that Kenny’s continued absent meant that he had decided to put his focus on Eren first, which was an awful thing to consider. Levi might hate Kenny, but at least if he was bothering him, his uncle wouldn’t be somewhere else and possibly hurting Eren in his place. If anything serious happened to that alpha, Levi didn’t know what he’d do. Whatever else happened, he knew that he needed to save Eren, that was his priority.

As hours passed by, Levi grew more and more restless, after a while not even being able to make himself stay on the bed any longer and instead started pacing back and forth in the small cell. His fingers itched with a desire to try and bend the bars away, even though he knew that it was an absurd and impossible thought. The only thing keeping him in check was the constant reminder of what Hange had told him, and he waited tensely for any type of update that she could bring him.

After what seemed like an endless amount of time coupled with rising agitation, Levi finally felt relief as Hange turned up, pushing a cart carrying plates of food with her. As it wasn’t one of her normal duties, Levi was sure she was there specifically to talk to him.

He sat on the floor in front of the bars and waited for her to hand out the food to everyone else, before she lastly turned to him, sliding the plate of bland and disgusting food through the opening in the cell bars towards him along with a small note

 _I’ve talked to the police. They’re going to raid the place in three days,_ the note read, and Levi felt a mixture of elation and panic coursing through him at the words.

“That’s too long,” Levi whispered furiously, shaking his head as he slid the note back to her. “There’s no way he’ll leave me and Eren alone for three days.”

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do,” Hange said, apologetically. “You’ll have to make it through.”

“Fuck.” He closed his eyes in frustration. “What about Eren then, have you seen him?”

To his disappointment, she shook her head in response.

“No, Kenny hasn’t allowed other people near him as far as I know. But I think that he’s being kept in a solitary room on the other side of the building and so far I don’t believe anything has been done to him.”

“But you don’t actually know for sure?” Levi asked, pushing for more, but she only shook her head again, looking remorseful. Then she glanced around nervously and gave a sigh.

“I need to go,” she said. “And I probably won’t be able to talk to you like this anymore. I need to keep up the façade.”

Then, as abrupt as she had arrived, she took the now empty cart and left again. Levi stared down at the food in front him with a grimace and pushed it aside. Even lacking in appetite he knew that he’d have to eat it sooner or later as to not lose too much strength, but it was hard to focus on the importance of eating when you had the possibility of death hanging over you.

**o0o**

After a long enough time had passed that it must have been over a full day, with the corridor continuing to echo with its emptiness, Levi started to hope that maybe, just maybe, they would make it out of this place without anything happening. When enough time had passed that he thought two full days must have gone by, he even started to believe it.

Levi even managed to relax enough at some point to get some sleep, the tense feeling of anxiety that weighed him down finally easing up slightly and allowing him some rest. Of course, his feeling of hopefulness was immediately crushed as he was abruptly awoken by the sound of someone slamming on the bars of his cell.

Shooting up from the bed, his eyes met Kenny, who was watching him with a pleased smile on his lips. It felt a lot like a hole had opened up underneath his feet to swallow him whole, but Levi forced himself not to bend to it.

“I’ve kept you waiting long enough,” Kenny said. “I know you’ve been wanting to see your werewolf friend, so I thought it was about time for the two of you to have a little reunion.”

Levi felt his stomach drop at the words.

“Or maybe _friend_ isn’t the right word,” Kenny corrected himself with a mocking voice. “My men did report that you seemed a bit closer than that.”

“What did you do?” He kept his voice steady as he spoke, even as he dreaded the worst. _Don’t take Eren too._

“No need to look so forlorn!” Kenny told him, disturbingly joyful. “I promise I haven’t done anything to hurt him.”

Levi didn’t trust a word that came out of that man’s mouth, and pictures of Eren lying dead on the floor in one of the examination room flashed through his mind.

“Now, I know we usually put you under, but you’re going to be conscious for this, so I want you to put this on with your hands behind your back.” As he said the last part, Kenny threw him a pair of cuffs, which Levi caught purely instinctively. “Just so you’ll behave.”

With rising trepidation, Levi slowly locked them around his wrist so that his arms were trapped behind him, looking up at Kenny as he unlocked the cell. For a moment he considered attacking anyway. Even without the use of his hands, he thought that he might be able to take Kenny on. If nothing else, he sure was angry enough to try. But in the end, the thought of Eren held him back. Levi needed to know where the alpha was and what had been done to him, something he was sure that his uncle had counted on, and so with his jaw set, he let Kenny walk behind him and steer him to wherever it was that Eren was being kept.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really struggled with this chapter because it became such a big info dump and I didn’t like how the text was flowing. Still not nearly happy with it but hopefully you guys don’t hate it. Anyway, coming up next: “Reunited”, along with some of Eren’s POV! (also, as you might have noticed, the chapter count has now been updated to 11)


	8. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays everyone!

When Eren opened his eyes he was met only by darkness. In his confusion he tried to reach out for Levi, the last he remembered the smaller male being in his arms, but his body was met by resistance and with a frown he realised that he was unable to move. He could feel metal against the skin at his ankles, wrist and around his throat, making him unable to do anything more than turn his head to the sides. Cautiously he tried to feel how strong the hold on the restraints was, but no matter how hard he attempted to wrench his hands up, the metal cuffs held strong.

Warning bells were starting to go off in his head and when he tried to think back to what had happened he couldn’t recall them being attacked. But then he remembered the sting of something hitting him in the back of the neck, and the haze that had quickly enwrapped him directly after. Darted with some type of anaesthetic then, Eren guessed.

Had Levi been hit too in that case? Eren assumed that he must have been since he was certain that Levi would have put up a fight otherwise. He wouldn’t have simply left Eren there to be taken, he was sure of it.

So where was Levi now? Eren tried to think radiationally and figured that they had most likely been taken to the same place, so that meant they were hopefully also in the same building.

Was he okay? Had they hurt him?

Eren could feel a low guttural growl building in his chest and spilling out from his lips at the thought of anyone laying a hand on his mate, and his nails elongated until they turned into claws that dug into the palm of his hands. Blood dripped down from his clenched fist, but he hardly took notice of the small sting as overprotective instincts were coursing through him.

Making another wild attempt to get free, his eyes were sweeping back and forth as they got used to the lack of light and he tried desperately to find anything that could help him out of the cuffs holding him down. To his disappointment, the room was practically empty, looking like some type of medical room perhaps. It smelled very similar to that of a hospital in any case, so he could only assume. He tried to discern what other scents were weaved into it, but there was only the lingering scent of unknown human in the room which didn’t tell him much of anything.

His face was twisted into a snarl as his teeth itched to tear into the flesh of the people keeping him trapped, and he could feel the transformation threatening to wash over him, the more animal side of him ever so close to the surface.

He tried to remain calm, but it was difficult when he was overwhelmed by the urge and need to protect his mate. Every single instinct in his body was practically screaming at him to get to Levi and make sure that he was okay.

In the middle of his failed attempt at keeping his breathing even, the door suddenly swung open and jolted him in shock, the sudden bright light that was turned on making him shut his eyes at its harshness.

For a brief second, he was simply left confused, before everything in him instantly snapped to attention and his senses zeroed in on the possible threat having entered the room. Eren couldn’t see them, whoever they were, but he could smell them. Human, healthy older male with a strong air of confidence, along with a slight hint of surprise that quickly passed.

“I didn’t expect you to be conscious so soon,” the man commented, tone light-hearted in a way that made Eren bare his teeth in anger.

“Who are you?” he demanded to know, his voice gravelly with a barely suppressed growl. The man didn’t respond, instead walking up to stand at the side of the table where Eren was lying, looking down at him with interest, humming to himself as if considering something. It gave Eren his first real good look at the human, and his face was just as unrecognisable as his voice. He was a taller middle-aged man, slim but definitely not weak, dark brown hair reaching down to his shoulders and the beginnings of a beard growing along his jawline.

“Where’s Levi?” he tried instead, and this seemed to get the man’s attention, his eyes flickering up to meet Eren’s.

“Ah yes, Levi,” he said, amusement dancing on his face. “I have to say that I’m curious about the nature of your relationship. How exactly did you two meet?”

Eren frowned in confusion – wondering why exactly his captor was asking – and didn’t dignify the question with a response.

“From what my men have told me I can only assume that you’re close,” the man continued, seemingly not overly bothered by his lack of response.

Eren narrowed his eyes in response, not liking the strange interest this man appeared to be taking in his and Levi’s relationship.

“Where is he?” he repeated, and even he could hear the tone of urgency slipping through the frustration as he spoke. His apparent worry over Levi only seemed to amuse the man more.

“Oh, he’s fine, don’t worry about him,” the man said, making an offhanded wave as though the issue was of no importance. Then the look in his eyes shifted to something more sinister as he leaned down closer to Eren.

“In fact, if I were you, I’d probably worry a bit more about myself,” he said, a smile on his face that looked anything but friendly.

Eren only looked back up at him in defiance, jaw clenched in fury. Then to Eren’s surprise, the man gave a short laugh and backed up again.

“Sorry, I do admit that I can be a bit of a sadist sometimes,” he said in ways of explanation. “Really, I’m not here to kill you or anything.”

Eren only watched him with suspicion, the quick mood swing giving him something of a whiplash. He didn’t trust a word this man said, the words of reassurance falling completely flat in light of everything.

“Who are you?” he repeated his question from earlier, the words gritted out from between clenched teeth.

This time the man seemed to actually consider answering, looking down at him contemplating before giving a small smile.

“You’re right,” he said, “you do have a thing for my nephew after all, it’s only fair that I introduce myself. Name’s Kenny, pleasure meeting you, I’m sure the two of us will get well acquainted in the future.”

Eren could feel his brain stuttering to a halt as he stared up at Kenny in horrified shock.

“Nephew?” The words were barely more than a whisper leaving his lips.

The smile didn’t leave Kenny’s lips as he gave a shrug and turned towards the door.

“We have a bit of a strained relationship I suppose.”

Before Eren had a chance to gather himself together and think to speak up again, he could already hear the sound of the door opening.

“I’m afraid to say that I have to get going, but don’t you worry, I’ll send some people to get you to your room!” Kenny announced just before he shut the heavy door behind himself, leaving Eren alone once more.

With his thoughts racing around in his head trying to find an explanation for what was happening, the first thing Eren realised was that this was where Levi must have been during those eight months of his missing memory, and the second was that the fact that he’d been allowed to know who his kidnapper was most likely didn’t bode well. Whatever was going on, he knew that he needed to get himself and Levi out of there.

Making another attempt at freeing himself, but ultimately falling short, Eren realised that he had to accept momentary defeat. He needed to be smart about this, and if there was nothing he could do now then that just meant that he had to bide his time and wait for the right opportunity.  

It didn’t take overly long after Kenny had left for a pair of human males to enter. They didn’t speak and where he was lying he couldn’t clearly see them, but Eren focused on listening for their every movement, hyperaware and ready for them to leave even the smallest of opening for him to attack. To his frustration, before he had a chance to try anything, he watched as one of the men approached with a needle in hand and he realised that they planned to sedate him again. With a growl, he tried to bite the hand nearing his throat, and the man swore loudly as he jerked back.

“For fuck’s sake, hold him down will you!” he commanded the other man, who forcefully grabbed hold of Eren’s head to try and turn it to the side. However, even weakened as he was now, Eren was still much stronger than any human and he resisted with an angry snarl.

“Jesus, just stick it in his arm instead!”

Helpless to resist this time, Eren felt the sting as the needle was stabbed into his upper arm. Even while continuing to snarl at them, Eren could feel himself slowly succumbing to the effects of the tranquiliser.

**o0o**

The next time he awoke he was in a completely barren room save for a toilet in one of the corners, making it feel a lot like a prison cell, not counting the lack of bars. Instead, there was a large steel door which predictably didn’t move when he tried to force it open. Trapped and isolated, Eren felt his panic increase, the human side of him taking a backseat as his wolf was brimming with anger. Who were they who thought they could lock him up and steal his mate from him? He’d kill them. He’d rip their throats out and tear open their ribcages so that he could eat their hearts.

The furious howl that ripped from his throat was as much a call for blood as it was a desperate cry for his mate, but it seemed almost as if swallowed up by the walls around him and there was no answering call in return.

Curling up in one of the corners of the room, Eren used all his willpower to stay in human form. He needed to stay alert and aware, ready for when they came for him again. He’d get another chance, they’d make a mistake eventually.

Except, to his frustration, his kidnappers weren’t dumb enough to simply walk into the room to get him. Instead, after being left alone for what felt like a small eternity, he could suddenly smell a strange scent in the air, and it was only after he started turning dizzy that he registered that they were gassing him. It didn’t matter that he tried to hold his breath, after a couple of minutes he could feel himself slipping away, ultimately unable to put up a fight as they took him away.

After that, Eren didn’t know how much time passed, but he got taken away two more times for whatever it was that they were doing to him. There were no lasting injuries, although he knew that that might be contributed to his healing abilities. Nevertheless, the only aftereffect the trips left him with was a headache caused by the sedative.

It was first after the third time that he was put under where there was a break in the routine and he didn’t simply wake up back in the room he was being kept. Instead, this time as he opened his eyes he realised that he was back in the medical room where he had first woken up.

He wasn’t surprised to see Kenny standing over him with a self-satisfied smirk on his face, but it still made him bare his teeth in a silent snarl in response.

“What are doing to me?” he asked with a growl.

“Doing to you? Can’t say that I’ve done anything yet,” Kenny answered with raised brows.

“You’ve been gassing me so you’ve been doing something,” Eren seethed in anger.

“Ah that,” Kenny said dismissingly. “We’ve only been performing some tests is all.”

“Tests?” Eren echoed.

“That’s right.”

“What kind of tests?” he asked, heart beating fast in his chest even as his anger far overpowered his fear.

“Just for this new thing I’ve wanted to try out, which you happen to be the test subject for,” Kenny answered, the smirk on his lips growing bigger.

“What are you talking about?” Eren could feel himself growing more and more apprehensive over where this conversation was leading.

“Well, that’s what we do here. Perform experiments and tests of sorts,” Kenny explained to him, in much the same way one much describe the weather, and Eren felt the dawning of understanding over what was going on.

“That’s what you did to Levi, isn’t it?” he asked quietly, almost to himself, voice disbelieving as he thought it over. Because it made sense. If someone could successfully experiment on people it would explain how Levi had gone from being human to being turned into something else entirely. The lack of response from Kenny felt like an answer in and of itself and Eren felt such gut-wrenching despair as he thought about what Levi must have been put through spending eight months in this place.

Then he suddenly remembered another fact and stared up at Kenny with wide eyes.

“Are his friends still here?” he asked urgently. In his mind desperately hoping and praying that maybe –

“Oh, those people are long dead already.”

Kenny’s flat and uncaring words immediately made Eren’s heart sink, and he felt a deep sadness for the loss that his mate had been forced to experience.

“What about Levi then?” he asked, because he needed to know. “What are you doing to him? Is he okay?”

At this point, Kenny seemed to have grown almost bored and he gave a roll of his eyes at the question.

“I haven’t even touched him,” he said. “But while we’re on the topic of my dear nephew, that was actually what I wanted to see you about.”

Furrowing his brows, Eren felt a deep sense of uneasy taking hold of him.

“Now, you won’t be aware for what’s about to happen, but I want you to know anyway. So that when you wake up with his blood on your hands you’ll know exactly why and what you’ve done.”

“What are you talking about?” Eren could feel his eyes going wide in horror as rising dread gathered in his gut, making him feel almost nauseated.

“It’s like I said, you’re going to be a bit of a test subject for me. I’ve created a serum designed to make people go… well feral I suppose would be the right word. Aggression, unable to recognise people you know, things like that. And for you as a werewolf I can only imagine that it’ll be much worse, making you lose all human aspects and simply turn you into the animal that you are.” As he said the last part Eren saw the cruel glint in his eyes clearly, and he could only stare back, powerless of doing anything else. 

“You understand, I can’t simply let Levi get away with what he did, and I think it would be a lot more satisfying to have someone that he actually cares about do the deed, so to speak.”

Eren already understood what Kenny was about to say before he spoke next, and he felt himself growing as pale as a ghost as everything in him rebelled at the very thought.

“So you see, I’m not going to kill Levi, or even hurt him at all, you are.”

**o0o**

Kenny led Levi down a long hallway in a part of the building where he’d never been before. They had walked for several minutes by the time Kenny stopped him in front of a thick steel door, and Levi straightened his back as he realised they must have finally arrived at where they were keeping Eren. The reason for why the alpha was hidden away so far from all the others in a separate room, Levi didn’t know, but when he scented the air, he without a doubt could catch traces of Eren still lingering faintly so he didn’t doubt that the werewolf was in there.

He braced himself for the worst as Kenny unlocked the door, the lock giving a small click as the key was turned around and it opened. Without saying anything, Kenny then threw in the key for his handcuffs into the room, giving Levi a final smile as he opened the door wider to push him inside.

With a stumble, Levi took his first steps into the room, hearing the door shut loudly behind him, but he hardly focused on that as his eyes took in the collapsed figure of Eren on the floor.

Something in him felt as though it was breaking, heart beating fast as he hurried to grab the key and with shaking fingers managing to release the handcuffs from around his wrist. With both his hands free he then sank down on his knees next to Eren’s unconscious body, putting an unsteady hand on his shoulder so that he could turn him on his back. With a sharply drawn in breath of relief as he couldn’t see any injuries, Levi leaned down and burrowed his face in the crock of the alpha’s neck, hands clinging on for all he was worth. His scent was the same as he remembered, completely and unadulterated only Eren, and Levi almost felt like crying as he released the heavy feeling of guilt resting in his chest. Eren was unhurt, unchanged, and still fully and truly himself.

He had a short moment of questioning why exactly Kenny would have brought him there if Eren was okay, because he didn’t actually think that his uncle had planned for them to have a heart-warming reunion. But for whatever the reason was, Levi allowed himself to relish in the comfort that came from hearing Eren’s heart beating inside his chest, a steady rhythm that told him that at least for now, everything was okay.

He didn’t know how long he stayed like that, but with how attuned he was to Eren’s body, he immediately noticed as the alpha started to regain consciousness, and he slowly unfolded from his half embrace so he instead could gaze down at Eren’s face as his eyelids fluttered open.

“Eren?” His voice sounded hoarse with emotion as he spoke.

Eren’s eyes were practically gold as they looked up at him blankly, and Levi reeled back at the surprise of it. He’d seen those eyes before, he realised, back when Eren had first come across him in his heat.

“Eren?” he repeated, voice now unsure as he scooted back slightly to create some space between them, alarm starting to grow in him as the werewolf released a low angry growl that Levi could feel vibrate through to his own chest, shaking him with its aggression

Levi backed up even more in apprehension as Eren got himself up on his knees and slowly looked around the room, lips pulled back in a show of teeth growing gradually sharper, before his focus finally shifted back to rest on him. There was nothing in those eyes that spoke of any kind of recognition, only an untamed wildness that made Levi’s heart beat faster as he realised that Eren was looking at him in much the same way a predator looked at prey.

“What are you doing?” he asked shakily, continuously backing further and further away, but there was nothing that spoke of Eren understanding what he was saying, and Levi witnessed as the werewolf disappeared further and further into his transformation.

His face was changing, features turning sharper and teeth growing larger, ears turned elongated as hair started sprouting all over his skin and his body grew threateningly bigger, causing his clothing to rip as it could no longer fit his frame.

Levi had never seen a werewolf in its true shape up close before and he felt almost transfixed as Eren lost his last human aspect, nails now long claws that scraped against the floor menacingly. He knew it was probably shock that had the almost hysterical laughter bubbling up and falling from his lips, but he couldn’t stop it, and the sound of it echoed loudly in the small room. Eren seemed to react only with confusion and suspicion, the growling stopping as he watched Levi intently, and Levi only realised that he was crying as he could taste the salt on his tongue from the tears running down his cheek.

Trying to stifle his laughter, Levi backed even further away, but this seemed to only aggravate Eren again, who snarled and got on four legs to take a step towards him. Meeting Eren’s eyes unflinchingly, Levi knew with certainty that the werewolf would try and kill him. That whatever had been done to him, there was no longer any human part left in Eren that could reason with the beast, and he had to fucking hand it to Kenny because this was a new level of fucked up even for him. It left him with only the option of either fighting back and possibly being the one killing Eren instead, or simply allowing himself to be killed.

 _Sadistic son of a bitch,_ he thought.

Levi couldn’t much say that he wanted to die, but he felt exhausted down to his bones and he refused to kill Eren, which really only left one outcome in the end. He felt numb as he laid down on the cold floor, laughter fading into small huffs of air as he simply relaxed his body, not even reacting in the slightest as the hulking shadow of Eren fell over him. Staring emptily up into the ceiling and feeling Eren’s warm breath against his throat, he thought that at least now he’d be joining Furlan and Isabel and get out of this shithole, which wasn’t such a bad thing after all. Even if it meant he’d never get his revenge on Kenny.

He waited for the teeth to dig into his skin, and it took him several seconds to realise that Eren wasn’t actually attacking him, at which point he could feel his forehead scrunch up into a frown in puzzlement.

Angling his head down so that he could look upon the alpha, Levi found him already staring back at him searchingly, head tilted to the side in question. Eyes that had now seemingly lost all their aggression, instead replaced with open curiosity and something else more intense. Not sure what to do, Levi didn’t move from his position, and he pondered if perhaps Eren just didn’t see him as prey any longer since he didn’t try to fight or escape. Then, as if to answer his silent wondering, Eren leaned down to drag his nose against Levi’s throat, inhaling deeply and starting to omit a deep rumbling that took him a few seconds to register as crooning.

Oh _,_ Levi thought. _Oh._

“Well then,” he said aloud, feeling dazed.

He raised his hand and hesitantly put it on the back of the Eren’s head, feeling the coarse fur underneath his fingers and he let them travel up to drag over the ears standing at the top of the head, fascinated at the way the fur there turned soft. His action seemed to please Eren, who more or less relaxed completely as he laid down on top of him, leaning into his hand while ramping up the crooning. The weight of Eren pressing down on him made it slightly difficult to breathe but he didn’t make a move to try and push him away, simply continuing to pet behind his ears, letting himself slowly calm down.

After several minutes had passed he felt as Eren shifted back beneath his hand. The fur turning back into his normal soft hair and the rest of it giving away to smooth skin as Levi let his hand trail down the alpha’s neck. The snout that had been pressed to his throat went back to a normal human face, and the paws transformed back into hands that went around Levi’s body to hold him closer.

“Eren? You back with me?” he asked carefully, but he only got a huff in response. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Levi then got his hands between their tightly pressed bodies to push Eren up.

“Okay, get up, let me have a look at you,” he said, and although Eren was reluctant to move and made something of a grumbling sound, he did disentangle himself from Levi to sit back up on his knees, and Levi followed suit so that they were facing each other.

He felt discouraged but unsurprised to be faced with the still golden eyes.

“Guess not,” he said quietly, lifting his hand to cup Eren’s face tenderly, the alpha’s eyes closing in satisfaction at his touch. 

Right as Levi’s mind then started to wonder where Kenny was, if he was possibly waiting outside for them, he gazed around the room and froze as he noticed the small camera in the corner of the ceiling, heart beating faster as he suddenly felt conscious about them being watched. He should have expected this, no way would his uncle have missed out on watching Eren kill him, he would have wanted to know exactly how it went down. But then why, Levi asked himself, did no one interfere when Eren instead had turned docile. It didn’t make sense, and he barely had time to finish the thought when a loud thud was heard from the door of something heavy impacting with it on the other side.

Dropping his hand from Eren’s skin he turned instantly on the alert, getting up to walk towards it, ready for it to open. Eren was quickly up by his side, growling and trying to push Levi behind him.

“Fuck off with that shit,” Levi told him frustrated, sidestepping him to move closer to the door just as another loud thud was heard.

He froze, but once again it stayed closed and in the silence that followed Levi started to really wonder what was going on. Then the realisation hit him head-on that it was probably today that the police raid was taking place, and he rushed to grab a told of the handle, yanking it desperately.

“Hey, open the fucking door!” he shouted, pounding his fist against the door.

It was silent for a long time before Levi heard the sound of the lock clicking open, and Levi took a step back, tensely watching as the door was pulled open, revealing two men dressed in black protective gear, guns aimed in suspicion at them, and Levi breathed a sigh of relief. Never in his life had he thought that he’d be grateful to see the police.

“Thank fuck,” he said, not hesitating to step out into the hallway. One of Kenny’s guards was lying on the floor unconscious right next to the door, but Levi barely paid the man any notice.

“You okay?” One of the men said, lowering his gun and reaching out towards Levi. He didn’t even have a chance to touch him before Eren was suddenly there to slam the man up against the wall.

Before Levi then had time to interfere, the other officer had his gun raised and aimed towards Eren, who Levi saw was well on his way to a full shift again, and he didn’t even think twice before moving in between them.

“Wait, don’t shoot!” he implored, hands raised in a show that he wasn’t hiding anything.

“Move out of the way!” The officer demanded, stepping closer at the sound of his friend struggling.

Levi ignored him to grip Eren hard at the arm that was currently pressed against the man’s jugular, effectively choking him.

“Eren, let go.” When Eren didn’t as much as twitch, he let his grip grow tighter and he shook the alpha’s arm. “I said fucking let go!”

Some of that crazed look had returned to his eyes as he turned to face Levi, but Levi stood his ground.

“Now, Eren.” And slowly he did, stepping back and letting the man glide down to the floor, catching his breath. Levi quickly put some distance between them and the police by leading Eren away, keeping his hand a constant steady weight on Eren’s arm, who didn’t put up a fight even though Levi could feel the tenseness of his muscles underneath his fingers.

“What’s wrong with him?” The officer still standing asked, gun still raised and eyes fixed on Eren. At the ready for if he were to act up again.

“I don’t know, they did something to him. He probably needs a doctor,” Levi said, trying to be calming to deescalate the situation. From the distance, he could hear shouting and the sound of gunfire.

“Is he going to try anything again?”

“No, I’ll keep him in check.” The officer’s silence spoke of his distrust of the situation, but Levi guessed that he also didn’t want to unnecessarily have to shoot someone.

“You alright, Jack?” he asked, eyes still not leaving Eren, and the officer still on the floor pushed himself back up.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he answered with a cough, sounding annoyed and shooting him and Eren a dirty look.

“You continue on then and I’ll lead these two out.”

Giving a nod, the man grabbed his gun that had fallen to the floor, and while keeping a wide berth to the two of them, disappearing down the hallway without a further word.

“Let’s get moving then,” the man told the two of them. “I’ll go first to secure the way.”

“Wait,” Levi said, and the officer who had just started to turn away turned back to look at him.

“Yes?” he asked impatiently, and Levi hesitated slightly.

He wanted to ask about Kenny and Hange, and even more, he wanted to go off on his own to try and find his uncle and kill the bastard now that he had the chance. But Levi knew that the officer most likely wouldn’t answer any question regarding the operation and he couldn’t just go running off, not now when he had Eren to think about. No matter how much he wanted to.

“Nothing,” he said quietly, taking a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The escape scene was first supposed to be a really long scene with lots of blood and action but then it still turned into this in the end. Sometimes characters and scenes just don’t go the way you want them to I guess, but yeah, sorry if it’s disappointing to people expecting something else


	9. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys had a great New Year and wishing everyone a good 2020 ♡

Eren refused to leave Levi’s side. He also refused to let anyone else within touching distance of him, baring his teeth at anyone who dared get too close. It was all a big hassle in Levi’s opinion, as he was now stuck with something similar to that of a very aggressive guard dog. Sitting in the office of the chief of police, however, Levi mostly just felt tense and exhausted. Hange was standing leaning against the wall to his right, and Eren’s gaze was constantly shifting between her and the police chief who sat behind the desk in front of them, regarding them steadily. Levi didn’t dare remove his hand that was gripping Eren’s tightly, giving a hard squeeze every time he could feel the werewolf’s claws starting to grow dangerously long.

The fact that they’d even made it in to the police station without any incidents was a feat in and of itself. Levi had a hard time understanding what was so important that they had to be brought there to start with. Considering Eren’s state, taking them to the hospital seemed like a better option. Yet, after being brought outside by the officer who had more or less rescued them, they only had a brief meeting with paramedics – who’d been unable to get close to either of them without Eren trying to attack – before being taken aside and simply kept under supervision. When they had then been taken to the police station, Levi hadn’t been sure what to expect, but after having had to wait for another couple of hours in a holding cell he didn’t much care at this point, he just wanted to get out of there.

“I am under the understanding that Kenny Ackerman is your uncle, is that correct?” The police chief asked him when he finally deigned to speak, his expression unreadable.

“Yes, that’s correct,” Levi replied curtly, gritting his teeth at even the mere thought of the man.

There was a small pause before the police chief continued, as if he was considering his words.

“Would you deem the two of you to ever be particularly close?”

Levi stared at the blond man incredulously. Of all the things he’d thought to be asked –

“He killed my friends and tried to have me killed, is that not answer enough to that question?” Levi leaned forward and practically hissed his answer at him. Eren immediately reacted to his anger and gave a warning growl at the perceived threat. With a sigh, Levi forced himself to sit back and calm down, giving Eren’s hand another squeeze. Was this honestly why they’d been brought here? _How utterly idiotic._

“Actually, no.” If the police chief was faced by the aggressive display he didn’t show it. “We need to know if you have any knowledge regarding any possible places where he might be hiding.”

At those words, Levi felt as if the air got sucked out of his lungs and he fell as still as a statue. It took several seconds for him to find his voice again to be able to speak.

“And, what the fuck, is that question supposed to mean?” He could feel his hand twitch with a desire to hit something. “You better not be saying what I think you’re saying.” Blood was rushing in his ears at the implication of what he was hearing.

“It’s true, Levi.” Hange’s voice was quiet enough to almost be a whisper. “I don’t know how, but he managed to get out in time.”

The sound that escaped him wasn’t altogether human, red flashing in front of his eyes, and the only thing that kept him seated was Eren still sitting at his side.

 _Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm_ , he repeated to himself.

Eren obviously still noticed his distress, however, and shoot up from his seat, pushing the chair back to position himself in front of Levi, eyeing the two humans as if trying to decide who he should kill first.

“Eren, stop,” Levi ordered, dragging the werewolf back by the hand still holding onto his.

“Fuck, this isn’t working,” he stated frustratingly to the room at large. “I need to get Eren out of here and home to his pack.”

“You haven’t answered my question yet.” The police chief’s eyes were unwavering as they stared at him and Levi considered for a moment simply letting Eren go so that he could maul the man.

“Erwin, he’s right,” Hange interjected, watching Eren cautiously. “Eren is highly unstable and this foreign environment isn’t making things easier. He shouldn’t have been brought here to begin with.”

“We also need any information that Mr Ackerman can give us, and I think he will agree that catching his uncle is of highest priority,” The police chief, Erwin, retorted.

“And you should have caught him yesterday when you had the chance,” Levi snarled at him. “I don’t have any fucking information about my uncle that could possibly help, so if you’d excuse me, I’ll be getting out of here before I do something stupid like punching you in the face.”

He got up from his seat, tugging Eren along with him as he turned to leave, and the werewolf resisted the pull only for a couple of seconds before following along.

“I’ll talk to him.” Levi heard Hange say with a sigh behind him, and he simply slammed the door to the office open in response, striding through the station towards the exit.

 _Fuck the police_ , he thought as the officers he passed looked up to watch him pass. Levi couldn’t believe he’d been happy to see them yesterday. Useless fucking idiots all of them.

“Levi!” Hange called out after him but he firmly ignored her and continued on. “Levi, for Christ’s sake, would you slow down?”

He gritted his teeth, pointedly ignoring her as he continued on and out the front door, the bright morning sun almost blinding him. No one made any attempt to stop him, even with Hange running off after him, and for that he was grateful. He didn’t actually want to hurt anyone, but if any of the officers had tried to prevent him from leaving he would not have been held responsible for his own actions.

“Levi, I’m serious, you can’t simply run away!” Hange’s shrill voice grated his ears again and he was just about to turn around and tell her to fuck off when she continued. “At the very least we need to talk about Eren!”

He stopped in his tracks. At his side, Eren turned to face Hange with a growl. Levi didn’t even bother reeling him in seeing as it made the woman pause several feet away, clearly reluctant to get any closer.

“What?” he asked flatly.

Her eyes flickered from him to Eren and back again warily, but she sounded determined when she answered.

“I’ll need to examine him, or at the very least take some blood samples to try and determine what’s been done to him.”

“They already tried that,” Levi said. “He’s not going let you come near him.”

“I won’t need to,” Hange said quickly. “I’ll simply instruct you on how to do it from a safe distance away.” She glanced at Eren out of the corner of her eyes as she said this.

“Hange, listen,” Levi began with a sigh. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate you getting me out of there back then, but I’m really tired right now and I think Eren really just needs to go home.” Not to mention that they both really needed a shower and a change of clothes. Eren especially, who’s clothes were only barely hanging on at that point, as badly torn as they were.

“I agree, and I know you are, but you have to understand that if the effects still haven’t worn off there’s no indication that they ever will on their own. We have no idea what Kenny actually did to him and so even though Erwin said he’d be allowing me to look over the material they found, there are no guarantees I’ll find answers there.” She looked at him intently. “I need blood samples to work with here.”

When Levi still seemed hesitant she added, “For all we know the effects could get worse or even become permeant if not treated.” And at this, Levi finally conceded.

“Fine,” he said. “But I’m not going back in there.”

“No need to,” Hange assured him. “I brought some things in my car, we can do it right here in the parking lot.”

He made a disgruntled sound but obediently followed after her as she led the way. She opened her trunk and procured the needle kit, working efficiently as she prepared what was needed. Eren fidgeted slightly beside him, and even though he didn’t seem to be about to try something, Levi made sure to keep himself constantly aware of the werewolf just in case.

“You think your uncle is going to come after you?” Hange’s question instantly made him tense and he met her eyes as she turned back to glance at him.

But then he just gave a shake of his head and looked away over the parking lot.

“Doubt it. He wouldn’t risk exposing himself like that, not with how much he values self-preservation He’ll go into hiding I’m betting, has probably already gotten out of the city.” Which he wasn’t sure if it was a comforting thought or not. On one hand, he probably didn’t need to worry, but on the other hand that meant the threat that was Kenny hadn’t gone away. Not to mention that Levi wouldn’t be able to get his hands on him yet. “He probably wasn’t the person leading the operation anyway. People hire him to do things, he wouldn’t just spend money and build some underground lab for his own entertainment.” _Most likely not, at least._

She fell silent for a moment in thought, before speaking carefully.

“Erwin said he could offer you protection.”

Levi turned back to look at her again, upper lip curling in disdain at the mere thought of the man.

“No thank you,” he said. “I’ll make it by on my own.”

She thankfully didn’t try to argue, only turned towards him with a band and a needle in hand, holding it out towards him. Levi stepped forward close enough to grab it before retreating to a distance more agreeable to the still wary werewolf beside him.

“Okay, now I want you to put the binding around Eren’s upper arm to cut off some of the blood flow,” Levi dutifully did as told, Eren mostly looking at him questioningly at the action. “And now I want you to identify one of the more noticeable veins in the crease of his arm, do you think you can see one?” Levi nodded and Hange continued, “Good, then just use one of your hands to grab his lower arm and pull the skin taut before using your free hand to insert the needle at a slight angle. If it’s correct the blood should simply start filling up the tube and you can pull the needle out when it’s full. Normally I’d have some gauze ready for the patient, but considering Eren’s healing abilities it shouldn’t be necessary.”

Levi carefully watched Eren as he put the needle up against his skin, trying to look for any signs of discomfort, but the alpha only blinked down at him slowly and so keeping his grip steady he inserted the needle. Thankfully, Levi could immediately see the blood start to travel up into the tube and he pulled it out again only some short seconds later, the small puncture wound healing right back up again just as Hange had said.

Eren was still looking at him quizzingly but otherwise didn’t seem bothered and Levi patted him assuredly on the arm before handing the blood sample over to Hange.

“That’s all you need then?” Levi asked to be clear, watching as she made short work of putting everything away again.

“For now at least, and I don’t want to agitate him by overdoing it so one sample will have to do,”  she answered, shutting the trunk with obvious care that Levi could only guess was to not spook Eren. “If you have a phone we should exchange numbers and I’ll reach out when I find something.”

“I don’t,” he answered. “but even if I did, I’m not sure if I’m the right person to contact about this, considering I’m planning to return Eren to his pack. They’ll be worried sick by now and probably far better suited to handle this than me.”

Hange stared at him incredulously for a moment.

“Firstly, Eren’s pack has announced him missing and so they’ve already been notified by the police that he’s fine. The only reason they’re not here is that they had his situation explained to them and assured he would be brought over when the police were done with their proceedings. I’m sure Erwin’s let them know by now that you’ll be over shortly. And secondly, if you believe Eren will leave your side for even a minute you’re an idiot.” Levi only frowned at her in return.

“Yeah sure, he’s attached to me now because I’m the only one he knows, but if he recognises me he’ll surely recognise them as well. He’s a werewolf for god’s sake, they’re meant to stay with their pack.”

Hange only rolled her eyes at him and Levi could feel himself bristling in irritation.

“Well, I’m not going argue with you, but I’m sure Eren will prove you wrong.” She gave a sigh before she continued. “Do you want me to drive you there? I’m not sure if you’d planned to simply walk the whole way over but the car will be a bit faster.”

Levi opened his mouth to snap something snide back but stopped himself just before he could, taking a calming breath instead and took her up on the offer. Considering she’d saved his life he guessed he should try to be less grouchy.

Eren was somewhat suspicious at first about getting into the backseat of the car, but as Levi entered, he didn’t pause for long before following after him. After Levi then gave Hange the address for Eren’s pack house, they spent most of the drive in silence.

When he could see the house coming within view he also saw Mikasa standing out at the front, and she must have said something as she saw the car coming closer, because shortly thereafter the rest of the pack were spilling out of the house. He recognised all of them except two, and Levi assumed the two women were the ones who Mikasa had mentioned being out during his previous time at the house.

At this point, Eren had perked up beside him and was looking out the window towards the house, and Levi realised that the pack must be feeling the bond binding them all together. As Hange pulled up to the driveway, Mikasa looked on the verge of ripping the car door open before the car had even come to a stop, and Levi didn’t hesitate before getting out of the car, closely followed by Eren. He barely had time to step out of the way as Mikasa rushed past him to embrace Eren tightly. There was a moment of silence and then Eren gave a low whine and held her crushingly tight against him.

Levi watched from the sidelines as the rest of the pack came closer and how Eren made time to greet all of them enthusiastically, looking away as he saw tears welling up in Armin’s eyes. It felt far too personal to witness.

He glanced towards Hange still sitting seated in the car, a vindictive part of him wanting to lean through the still-open door and say _I told you so_ , but he held his tongue. Instead, he stayed where he was, keeping his eyes respectfully averted from the pack reunion going on.

When he felt the presence of someone suddenly joining him, he could already smell who it was before he looked up and met Mikasa’s grey eyes. She studied him silently and nothing about her expression could begin to tell him what she was thinking, although Levi assumed it couldn’t be especially positive thoughts.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I never meant for him to get hurt or tangled up in my mess.” He noticed by now how the rest of the pack had quieted down and he knew they were all listening. “I’m really sorry.”

She stayed silent for several more seconds before giving a slow nod.

“I’m not sure how much the police told you, but no one’s really sure yet what’s wrong with him. Hopefully it’ll wear off by itself, but if not, Hange is going to be working on finding some solution so…” He trailed off, not sure what else to say.

“I’ll leave,” he finally stated, as Mikasa didn’t seem about to join the conversation anytime soon.

Turning back, he made to take a seat back in the car when he heard quick movement behind him followed by arms enveloping him, pulling him away.

With a grunt, he tried to step out of the embrace, but Eren gave a low growl behind him and only tightened his hold.

“Eren, I need to go,” he tried to reason, but unsurprisingly his argument fell on deaf ears.

Glancing to the side, he saw Mikasa watching them with a tight expression on her face.

“He’s not going to let you leave,” she said, sounding resigned.

“Well why the fuck not, he’s fucking feral he should want to stay with his pack,” Levi said, still trying to pry Eren’s arms from him. He didn’t want to admit that a part of him was glad Eren wanted to stay with him. That the dark part of him that had started screaming with jealousy over Eren showing love for his own damn pack now was purring in satisfaction. It was utterly ridiculous and only made him angry with himself. Eren should be with his pack. Levi had almost gotten him killed and for all he knew he might have caused Eren irreversible damage, and for that, he did not deserve the werewolves affection.

“Doesn’t matter,” Mikasa said, watching his attempt at getting away. “He sees you as his mate, he’s not going to want to be separated.”

Levi froze, and he was thankful he wasn’t one for blushing because his whole body felt as if it was burning at hearing those words.

“We’re not – I mean we never –”

“It doesn’t matter if you never bonded, his wolf has already decided.” Mikasa’s voice was firm as she spoke, leaving no room for arguments and Levi couldn’t make himself look at her.

“There’s nothing for it,” she continued. “Having you leave would cause him only distress and you owe him after everything, so it’s best if you just come inside with us.”

Levi could feel himself grimacing but he didn’t attempt to put up a fight. Instead, he wished Hange goodbye, and she promised to be in touch before heading off again, and then he followed the pack into the house, Eren hot on his heels.

**o0o**

He expected the pack to be distant and cold with him, considering having put one of their own in harm’s way. But either they didn’t blame him or they simply didn’t want to make things awkward, because they treated him relatively warmly. Perhaps with an exception for Mikasa, who still looked at him with something clearly displeased in her eyes.

“Don’t mind her,” Armin told him quietly, sitting beside him and Eren on the couch. The two of them had been taken to shower first thing through the door, and after having wrestled Eren into putting on at least a pair of sweatpants, and himself borrowing another pair and a t-shirt from Eren’s wardrobe, the alpha had turned if anything even more clingy. It didn’t take much of a genius to figure out that it was because he was now more or less drowning in Eren’s scent, and said werewolf seemed to not want to remove his face from where it was currently pressed against Levi’s neck. He had Levi tightly tucked against his chest, his legs on either side of him caging him in as he took deep breaths and crooned in satisfaction. Levi didn’t miss the faint flush on Armin’s cheek as he pointedly chose to look anywhere but the two of them, and he assumed Eren’s behaviour wasn’t really appropriate for public spaces, even for werewolves.

“It’s fine, she should be mad at me. I don’t blame her,” he said, keeping his voice lowered as well, even though he knew Mikasa could hear them without problem from where she had recently disappeared into the kitchen to help with the lunch preparations.

“We know you didn’t mean for anything bad to happen to him.” At this Armin turned and looked at him earnestly. “But with pack… we’re closer than family. Losing one of your packmates feels a bit like dying yourself and Mikasa is the pack alpha so she feels everyone’s safety is her responsibility. Not to mention Eren’s her brother and she’s always been extra protective over him, even when we were growing up. It’s not easy for her, all of this.” By _all of this,_ Levi wasn’t sure if Armin meant Eren getting kidnapped or Eren apparently choosing him as his mate. Probably both.

“Don’t worry about it, as I said, I get it.”

“Yes, but I just need you to _understand_. Don’t hold it against her. I promise she’ll loosen up some if you just give it some time. It’s not good for the pack when members don’t get along.”

Levi wanted to protest and argue that he was very much _not_ pack, so it didn’t actually apply to him, but with Eren plastered to his back it seemed like a weak comeback, so instead he tensely nodded in reply. Even as he did, he imagined Eren never wanting to see him again after regaining his mind.

 _If_ he regained it, came the unwanted thought, but that was something best not to consider and so he banished it quickly. Armin might have been able to smell something off him however, as the omega laid a comforting hand on his arm.

“It’ll be fine,” he said with a small smile, and Levi only nodded again, leaning back slightly into Eren’s chest. When the alpha in question responded by licking his neck before biting down slightly, Levi gave him a light admonishing slap on the arm.

“None of that,” he said.

Armin gave a small embarrassed cough by his side before standing up.

“I’ll help the others with setting the table,” he said before hurrying away.

“You’re scaring your pack members away with your behaviour you know,” he murmured to the alpha as he watched Armin disappear from view. Eren didn’t appear particularly bothered though. Or even notice at all. After the initial reunion, his attention had returned fully to Levi, and even though it was clear he felt comforted by being around his pack, they appeared to more have settled into some kind of background noise for him.

That deep-seated part of himself was thrilled about it, but he refused to let it show. He knew it was because of those damn omega hormones that had been injected into his body at the hands of his uncle, and he readily refused to let it take over how he behaved.

He stayed seated on the couch in Eren’s arm until one of the betas, Sasha, stuck her head around the corner to let him know the food was ready.

It took a while to convince Eren to let him sit on his own stool instead of in the werewolf’s lap, but eventually he begrudgingly relented with a visible pout. Levi, who had never been very comfortable with having a lot of attention directed his way, or showing public affection before, felt the embarrassment crawl through his body as the rest of the pack around the table watched the whole thing go down.

No one made any move to assist him in handling Eren either, the fuckers.

When he finally did manage to make Eren sit separately on his own, the alpha still made sure to keep their chairs close enough that their sides were pressed together. It made it slightly more difficult to eat, but he made no move to put space between them himself. Even though it also made him cringe to have to sit right next to Eren as he used his hands to enthusiastically gulp down the almost raw meat laid out on his plate.

“So, what do you do?” It was one of the women he hadn’t met before who asked the question, breaking the pressing silence. Ymir and Christa, Armin had told him earlier. Ymir was naturally the taller of the two as the alpha, and the blonde omega was seated beside her. They were mates so it was only natural to stay close, Levi thought. “Or did, I suppose, before all of this shit,” Ymir continued drily, waving a hand as if to encompass all that had happened.

Levi shrugged, immediately on guard as he readied himself for any sort of judgement.

“This and that. Anything to get by basically.”

The brunette raised a pair of unimpressed eyebrows.

“Illuminating answer,” she drawled. The omega next to her elbowed her in the side at the comment.

“Be nice,” she hissed under her breath. Ymir rolled her eyes in response but obediently didn’t say anything else.

Levi wondered if all alphas were normally as submissive to their omega’s as Ymir and Eren showed to be, or if this pack was just somehow the exception to the norm. It was definitely going against the stereotype of an alpha werewolf that had formed in his head throughout his life.

“It’s fine,” Levi told them. “My life isn’t very interesting.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true,” Armin chirped up from across the table, giving him a friendly smile. “We all want to get to know you better.”

Levi knew he was trying to invite him into the pack but all the eyes on him only made him grimace.

“Okay you guys, maybe we don’t need to interrogate him the first day in, huh?” It was Reiner who had spoken up, and Levi glanced at him where he was sitting on his left side.

“Ah, of course not, that’s not what I meant at all!” Armin hurried to reassure, looking at Levi guiltily.

“I’m sure he understands that we’re curious,” Reiner said, waving away Armin’s concern and giving Levi a friendly pay on the back. He was forced to quickly pull it back though, as Eren turned to snap at him with his teeth. It wasn’t nearly as aggressive as he’d been with people from outside the pack, but it was clear that even though he didn’t mind Levi around the pack he still didn’t want all them touching him. Or perhaps it was more so because Reiner was an alpha as, Levi mused, as he remembered Eren showing no reaction to Armin touching him.

“Jeez, he’s worse than Ymir,” Jean said.

“He’s feral, what do you expect,” Mikasa told him. But when Levi briefly met her eyes she still looked deeply unhappy about the whole thing.

“Don’t worry,” Reiner said, “no more touching.”

“Maybe we should talk about something else,” Sasha spoke up, and Levi couldn’t be more grateful. “The whole pack is together again, we should be focusing on the good things.”

She paused, a teasing smile spreading on her lips as she turned her eyes to Jean. “Like for example, how me and Connie saw Jean flirting with one of the fairies.”

Jean’s eyes widened, a deer in the headlight look on his face as he more or less tried to splutter out a response.

Mikasa turned to him quick as a snake.

“Why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?” she asked.

“I don’t need to tell you everything about my dating life!” Jean defended himself, red in the face. Only after seeming to realise what he just confessed to.

“Ha!” Sasha exclaimed. “I knew it!”

“You do need to tell me if it involves the fairies,” Mikasa said, eyes firmly fixed on Jean. “It could involve pack politics.”

“We haven’t even done anything yet!” Again, his mouth seemed to run away from him and he hid his face in his arms with a groan as the words caught up with him.

Sasha and Connie were both bent over laughing at this point and Levi watched the whole interaction go down with something heavy settling in his stomach. The others didn’t seem to notice his mood, but Eren put his hand over his and when Levi glanced over, the alpha was looking at him with a questioning frown. Levi squeezed his hand to wordlessly assure the werewolf he was okay.

**o0o**

Even before evening fell, Levi could feel the exhaustion catching up with him, eyelids dropping lower as he watched the trees move in the wind from where he was sitting on the back porch. Eren’s pack was still inside and it had felt nice to get away for a while to collect himself and to simply breathe in the fresh air after such a long time trapped underground. His hand was moving absentmindedly through Eren’s hair as he rested his head in Levi’s lap. With a yawn, he put his hand on Eren’s shoulder instead to try and rouse him. 

Slowly the alpha moved up into a sitting position instead, blinking at Levi with tired but content eyes. He almost felt a twinge of guilt for making him wake up, but Levi was sure Eren would prefer to sleep in a bed as well.

“Come on,” he murmured. “Let’s head up to bed.”

Eren obviously didn’t understand his words, but he followed like an obedient puppy as Levi got up and stretched his limps before heading back inside the house.

The pack seemed more than understanding for their need to sleep, and they wished them goodnight as him and Eren headed up the stairs for Eren’s bedroom. Mikasa stopped them on the way to give her brother a long hug, resting their foreheads together as she wished him quietly goodnight. She glanced Levi’s way before she stepped away and let them pass, but she didn’t offer him any friendly words. He’d probably have acted way worse if he was in her position so it didn’t exactly bother him much. Although, it was true that the omega part of him that craved Eren’s attention also wanted the acceptance of his pack alpha, but that was to be expected he supposed, and it was manageable.

As they entered the bedroom Eren seemed to finally realise why they were there and he more or less dragged Levi towards the bed. Levi managed to stave him off long enough to step out of his clothes, although he made sure to keep his underwear on. Or well, technically _Eren’s underwear_. The alpha in question was seemingly getting with the program and trying to slip out of his own sweatpants, but Levi staved his hand. Not that he wasn’t used to Eren’s naked body by now, but considering they were in Eren’s pack house it seemed safer to let them stay on.

The alpha looked at him in annoyed confusion and tried to pull them down again, but Levi held his hand firmly.

“No,” he said. Leading Eren over to the bed instead and pulling him down with him, dragging the comforter up around them and curling up at Eren’s side.

Eren seemed to have already forgotten his previous protests from only a second ago, holding Levi close to his chest and tangling their legs together, uttering a content sigh as he pressed his face into Levi’s hair. It really didn’t take much to fall asleep after that.

 

 

 


End file.
